Fiendfyre
by Windblown.child
Summary: Severus Snape survived the Battle of Hogwarts and returned to the castle to teach potions. Unfortunately, not all of the Death Eaters were captured and Hermione Granger is in the middle of it all. SS/HG
1. The Dancer

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

Severus Snape wasn't sure what made him decide to go to the traveling show. Just a niggle at the back of his mind that wouldn't leave him alone until he followed the crowd in the gathering darkness and purchased a ticket. Muggles surrounded him on all sides, their population having skyrocketed while the wizarding numbers dwindled. The last time he had been inside one of the gypsy camps he had been 13 and had snuck out of his parents house. That camp had been set up outside of the town for just a single weekend and the woman who had wandered through the work camps advertising the show had looked so wild and enticing. Severus had never snuck out after dark before and everything had taken on an otherworldly sheen.

Now, as a jaded adult, the torches and tents that had seemed so intangible looked filthy and archaic. A feeling like a gentle tug drew him to the larger tent along with the mass of muggles. Seating was boards nailed on top of stumps that wobbled whenever someone moved. Reluctantly, Severus sat gingerly on the end of a board and tried not to touch the filthy drunk sitting next to him. The tent finally filled and the flaps closed. Another gypsy doused the lamps around the outside of the tent, throwing the interior into darkness. Before the audience had finished hooting and hollering, a dark form could be seen in the depression in the center of the tent that served as a stage.

Instantly Severus' attention was captured by the slight motion. Soon everyone was silent, watching the dark undulation in the center of the room. He thought he saw a pale arm reach up before he was blinded by a bright blue flame shooting toward the top of the tent. Around him muggles gasped and exclaimed in excitement, stomping their feet. From the voices, Severus realized there were only men in the audience.

Flames sprouted up around the edge of the stage, illuminating the form in the center. The gender wasn't clear as they were wrapped in a long black cloak that hid their face and body. But the moment a drum started pounding somewhere, they began to move. Just stomping their foot on the dirt floor in time with the drum. A charm bounced musically on the delicate pale foot.

The drum beat strongly in time with his heart and the form suddenly moved, the pale arm whipping the cloak off and throwing it into the air. Severus was helpless to watch the garment rise and another blast of blue flame hit the cloak. As the light faded the cloak appeared to break apart into several ravens that flew out the opening in the top of the tent.

Long wavy brown hair hid her face and spilled over her shoulders as she continued stomping her foot. She appeared to be clothed in strips of leather that matched the color of her hair. The drum intensified until his very heart pounded with the beat. Severus felt like nothing else mattered, just that he kept watching the woman dance. She was as wild as he would imagine a wood nymph and as feral as a mermaid. More blue flame appeared in her cupped hands as she danced, throwing the ethereal flame and bending it around her body as if to her will. Nothing else in the tent mattered to the dark man until he felt something tugging on his jacket.

"Blast this one don't have a penny on 'im."

"Just leave 'em alone then and we can get the rest. She doesn't like to take all day."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

The two men moved off and rifled through the next man's pockets, relieving him of his money and any valuables. Snape was drawn back to the woman creating shapes with the blue flames, drawing a bird. A great phoenix took form as the flames turned deep red. The bird moved on it's own, the woman standing in the center of the space again head down and foot stomping to the drum. The phoenix swept it's great wings back and flew around the tent dropping sparks on the audience.

The moment a spark touched someone they slumped forward appearing to be asleep, their chin resting on their chest. Sparks rained down on Severus but he brushed them away as merely an annoyance. When the phoenix had completed its circuit, it curled up in a ball and went out along with the flames around the edge of the pit. Yellow flames came on in the torches around the tent and the woman was gone. A thick man covered in dark hair barked at the men in the audience from where the dancer had been.

"All right you lot of useless sods. Clear outta here and go back to your homes. You'll wake up the moment you step foot outside of our camp. Go on!"

Severus followed the crowd until he exited the tent then he slipped around next to an old wooden wagon. Hidden in the shadow of the wagon, Severus slid out his wand and tapped himself hard on the head. The slick feeling of egg running down his back told him the disillusionment spell had worked. Not trusting completely to the spell, he slid among the shadows.

At every tent and wagon, Severus looked inside for the dancer. But it wasn't until he checked the lone wagon set away from the others that he found her. The woman had her back to the single window set in the door and she methodically unwound each leather strap that covered her form.

He couldn't help his eyes wandering down from the glimpse of breast to the curve of her hip and back and across her taut buttocks. The appraisal continued down her shapely legs to the charm around one ankle and the thick iron cuff around the other. Someone whooped behind him in the dark and the woman jumped, snatching up a robe and tying it around herself quickly. She then turned toward the door as if she expected someone.

While she waited, Severus studied her face framed by thick brown hair. Something about her eyes seemed familiar but he couldn't place it. Again someone whooped but it was further off. She smiled as if she knew something he didn't and reached one hand up. As she moved he suddenly realized where he recognized the dancer. It was Hermione Granger. She reached up with her other hand and pulled herself into a hammock suspended from the ceiling. Curling up, she appeared to go to sleep. Just the chain dangling below her belied that she was not willingly here.

Severus stepped away from the wagon and apparated away. He appeared in front of the gates to Hogwarts and rushed up to the castle. His feet carried him to the headmistress office and he knocked regardless of the late hour.

"Enter." The wavery voice of the transfiguration mistress trickled through the thick door.

"Please pardon the intrusion so late at night, Minerva, but I had a question."

"It is never too late to entertain a visit from you Severus. What is troubling you?" She held out a tin of lemon drops.

He shook his head at the proffered sweets. "I was simply wondering if you had heard from Hermione Granger recently."

"It's funny that you should ask about her. She mentioned being interested in an apprenticeship. I have tried to owl her several times, but they always return unopened."

"Have you not wondered where she is?" He was shocked.

"I have been very busy recently and I just assumed she changed her mind."

"But she isn't returning your post."

"Why the interest in the girl Severus? I was under the impression that you did not care about any of my students."

"I appreciate her intelligence regardless of her house. I had just realized I had not heard of anything since the war. I figured she would have made many discoveries by now."

"For all intents and purposes she has fallen off the face of the earth Severus. And I suggest you allow her to remain that way. Do have a good night."

Severus was clearly dismissed and he studied the woman for a moment. She had gone back to reading a letter and did not look up. Only after he had left did Minerva remove her glasses and rub the bridge of her nose.

"I hope you are safe wherever you are, Hermione."


	2. The Dark Mark

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

Severus stomped around his room for some time before he sat down at his desk. Quickly, he picked up a quill and scribbled a note in his usual spiky script. He rushed for the owlery and beckoned for one of the owls to deliver his letter. He watched the bird take flight and disappear over the forbidden forest. He silently hoped that the owl would return with a response soon before he retreated to his dungeon rooms.

When Severus awoke the next morning he felt as if he hadn't slept at all. Mindful of his reputation at always being at breakfast on time, he dressed and made his way to the great hall. Once there he ignored most of the food and selected just a bit of toast and bacon, staring moodily up at the windows where the owls would bring the morning post.

When the last owl had glided through the high windows the potions professor threw down his toast in disgust. Of course he shouldn't expect a timely reply from the boy. Why would he take time out of his day to actually answer a missive. He glared at his goblet of pumpkin juice as if it had caused him personal insult and didn't notice the tardy owl swoop into the hall and land next to his plate. Perhaps the boy was better about sorting through his fan mail for actual letters than he gave him credit for.

_Professor,  
Hermione has not returned owls for several months. The last communication I received she asked to be left alone. Please respect her wishes on this matter. It is better that no one knows where she is. I hope that term is going well for you.  
Harry __P__otter_

Severus crumpled up the note and shooed the owl away before standing up and stomping out of the great hall. When he reached his classroom he threw down the letter on his desk and paced around the room. The first unfortunate student to arrive early was met with a furious professor shouting at him to sit down and be silent. The student wisely complied.

The entire lesson was done in silence as he managed to loom more than usual and remove more points in a single day than ever before. As soon as each student had placed a sample in a flask on his desk they fled the dungeon and the furious potions master. Every class that day entered silently, worked silently, and left silently, having been warned by the previous class. Snape himself kept his speeches to a minimum pointing at the black board with instructions and only opening his mouth to assign detentions and take away house points. The moment the final bell rang Severus stomped back to the headmistress office. Impatiently he tapped his foot on the stone floor waiting for the door to open. After what felt like hours the door opened and Minerva looked at him with raised eyebrow.

"Severus, you were just here last night what is it you need?"

"Minerva I know we have had differences in the past." For once he tried the diplomatic approach. "But I have a deep feeling, one that has saved my life in the past. There is something going on with Hermione Granger"

"And other than this feeling, what proof do you have that anything odd is happening with Miss Granger?"

"I owled Mr Potter and he told me to keep my nose out. Miss Granger has not continued her education after Hogwarts, nor has she made any breakthroughs in the magical world. This alone is odd, but with my feeling and Potter's letter, I am down right alarmed."

"And may I ask what started this line of inquiry?"

Severus stared at the tin of sweets on her desk for a moment before answering. "I saw her."

"Where?" The quickness with which Minerva sat up was startling.

"The gypsy camp outside of London. She was a part of a hustle to rob all of the muggles that came through."

"She's that close? Severus please do not speak a word of this to anyone else. I must speak to some people."

"Will you keep me apprised of the situation?"

An odd look came over the older woman. "If I can, I will. You have my word. Now please I must contact some people."

Severus nodded once and swirled out of the office, quickly making his way to the dungeons assigning two detentions along the way. His mind was running so fast sitting down to grade papers was out of the question and it wasn't his night to patrol. Absolutely frustrated he threw itself down on his bed and stared at his ceiling.

He wasn't even aware that he had fallen asleep until he saw the gypsy camp lit up with torches but knew he hadn't left the castle. Slowly, he entered the tent and sat at the edge of the stage. The lights went out as before and the blue flame flared up. Instead of being in the audience, Severus found himself sitting within the ring of blue flame, the dancer wrapped in her cloak. She knelt down in front of him her cloak pooling around her feet. It was Hermione staring at him. Not the girl he knew from class, but the woman that had defeated the Dark Lord at only eighteen years old.

"Severus, I'm lost." She spoke pleadingly, her gaze so powerful he could not look away if he wanted to.

"I know where you are."

"But I'm lost. I can't find myself."

"I will find you, I promise."

"They can't find me Severus. You can't let them find me."

"Who? Who can't find you?"

"Them." Hermione hissed the word and reached out to the older man pressing one finger to his left forearm.

Immediately his arm began to burn, wrenching a scream out of him before he sat up. Rubbing the spot on his arm, Severus looked at his clock. Midnight exactly. He pushed up his sleeve and studied the mark on his arm. It had been four years since it had burned last, four years since the fall of the Dark Lord. Out of habit Severus pulled out his old Death Eater robes and mask before writing a quick message.

_Minerva  
The dark mark burned tonight at midnight. I will be answering the call to understand who is wielding the power. Perhaps it will give us an advantage if the __D__ark __L__ord has found a way to return.  
SS_

He sealed the message and used the floo to deliver it straight to the headmistress. He then opened a black door in his chambers and hurried down the passage. The stone and dirt tunnel lead to a secluded section of the Forbidden Forest with a path leading to a small gate to the grounds of Hogwarts. Severus left the grounds and placed his right hand over the dark mark using its call to apparate directly to the revel location.

As he landed hard, he allowed himself to go down to one knee. A quick glance around at the other arriving revelers revealed that most of them either landed as he had or harder. Pretending to be a new member he stayed back and slid nervously in line to walk up to the mansion on the hill. To his dismay he recognized the regal marble structure.

A bent and scared house elf lead the robed troop into a large hall where a single form stood in front of a large fireplace. From his position Severus could only make out green robes. The form turned and addressed the group.

"Welcome my brothers. I'm sure you are all wondering why I have called you."

It was all Severus could do to remain standing when he recognized the speaker. Narcissa Malfoy raised her glass and saluted the room. "I have discovered a way to return our great lord to his former glory."

Hours later, Severus made his way back to his rooms and tossed off the robes and mask. He quickly stripped the rest of his clothes and climbed into the shower. The hot water and rough sponge soon reddened his normally pale skin until he felt mildly cleaner after the meeting. Drying his hair with his wand, Snape dressed in clean clothes and made his way to the headmistresses office.

The door was open at the top of the stairs and Minerva was pacing her office. "Oh thank heavens you're all right, Severus." She rushed to the glowering man and embraced him. "When you said you had been called, I feared for the worst. How did you survive? What happened? Who called the mark?"

"Minerva please. It has been a difficult night. Do you have any lemon drops?" Severus sat heavily in one of the chairs before her desk. "I felt the mark burn and answered the call."

"But who called? I thought only Voldemort had that power."

"Voldemort left notes with his most trusted death eater and they have found how to work the mark. They also have a way to bring him back."

"No." All color drained from the headmistresses face. "How?"

"Hermione Granger"

"Now really Severus, this is not time to be making jokes."

"Do you really think I would be making jokes after the things I have seen happen at their revels?"

"Of course not Severus." The older woman looked ashamed. "Who has control of the Death Eaters now?"

"Narcissa Malfoy."

"But she helped save Harry's life."

"No she saved her own life." He corrected.

"How does Hermione come into all of this?"

"The Dark Lord can be born back into this world by a woman with a shard of his soul."

"Hermione wouldn't willingly keep a piece of his soul."

"She doesn't know she has. Miss Granger was the only female to destroy one of his horcruxes."

"She knows then. She is too intelligent not to know. That's why she went into hiding." Minerva placed her head in her hands.

"We have to retrieve her and keep her safe. May I have your permission to collect her tomorrow night?"

"What makes you say she will come with you?"

"They do not keep her there willingly."

"Very well. Go collect her tomorrow and we will decide from there." McGonagall rubbed gently between her brows.

Severus nodded and left the office treading silently to his rooms. There was far too little of the night left to be worth sleeping so he pulled a stack of essays closer and began marking them. Fortunately the next day was Friday. As soon as classes were done he would apparate to the clearing where the gypsy camp was and retrieve Hermione.


	3. I'm Not Her

I do apologize for the interruption to your regular daily updates, but I happen to live in Colorado and we had a small natural disaster.

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

Severus simply wanted class to be over. Perhaps more than the students wished for it. He remained silent, gesturing with his wand at the instructions and sneering down his nose at woeful attempts at brewing. At long last, the very last student from the very last class of the day left the room. Now he simply has to wait for dinner to start and night to fall. Dinner consisted of Severus pushing his food around his plate and glancing up at the ceiling waiting for twilight to begin. As he was seated next to the headmistress, Minerva finally leaned over and hissed at him.

"Stop torturing the tortellini, Snape, and go get her."

Glad for the excuse, he stood and made his way down the Great Hall between the tables, savoring the way students fell silent in his wake. At the doors he pushed them open and allowed them to bang shut behind him. He walked quickly to the gates and let himself out where he promptly apparated to the camp.

When the spinning and squeezing feeling stopped he straightened his cloak and looked around. The only sign that there had ever been a large convoy parked on the spot was the trampled grass and worn pathways towards the spot. No other sign that Hermione Granger had been there remained.

Severus Snape was never one much for cursing without a wand, but this moment definitely warranted it. "Fuck." He kicked a rock as hard as he could. "Well, fuckity fuck."

Defeated and hard pressed to come up with a solution, he returned to the castle and headed for his rooms. Severus quickly wrote a short note to McGonagall about his lack of success delivered it via floo and then threw himself down on his bed. Surprisingly, sleep took him quickly.

Dream Snape walked through narrow halls and stone arches clearly nowhere to be found on Hogwarts grounds. He reached a huge stone tub large enough to hold at least 20 men. The bottom sparkled with coins reflecting the light back onto the mosaiced ceiling. Moving on, he heard the gentle lapping of water on stone.

He stepped out of the dark corridors into a huge open area. Stars shone in the sky far above and Severus could make out where a roof used to be. Two steps in front of him the floor abruptly ended and water rippled an ethereal green light filling the entire room. Light shone near the middle and appeared to be coming closer until it was directly below the surface of the water in front of him.

A woman's form glowing blue, as if drawn by flame, swam towards him growing brighter every moment until he couldn't stand it and he blinked. When the watering of his eyes cleared, Severus was looking at Hermione her head just above the water, hair soaked and pulled back from her face. She blinked her large brown eyes at him.

"There used to be a beautifully carved roof over the bathhouse. But the Christians tore it down to make their streets. Tried to erase everything the Romans had done. But they couldn't destroy everything, they couldn't destroy the baths that have stood here for centuries."

"Where did you go?" He asked her hoping for some clue.

"You know where I am."

"But the caravan left."

"You can't let them take me. I did this for a reason. Don't undo everything I worked for."

"What did you do?"

"I left. But they brought me back."

"I have to find you."

"Then find me Severus. Before she does."

"You know why they need you." It wasn't a question.

"It's not just my life at stake here. Find me Severus." Hermione begged pushing herself away from the edge.

"Where are you?" Snape tried to call but he took a step forward and fell.

He jerked awake the moment before he hit the floor, having rolled out of bed. For a moment he just laid there on the cold stone floor trying to remember his dream. Bath. They had been in Bath. She was in Bath.

For the second time that night, Severus left the castle grounds and disapparated. There was no one around to notice his arrival near a large fountain in the center square. The bath house was clearly visible, it's broken roof looking like teeth against the star filled sky but between him and the large stone building was the caravan. Sighing, Severus tapped himself with his wand and stepped from his hiding place.

"Hermione?" He whispered, hearing someone splashing in the water.

She was swimming naked just as in his dream but no ethereal light emanated from the pool. The dancer stopped at the edge and pushed her hair out of her face. "Who's there?"

"Hermione. You need to come back to Hogwarts" He ended the disillusionment charm and stepped out of the shadows.

"My name isn't Hermione. Who are you?"

"What is your name?"

"I asked you first." Still as feisty as she was in school.

"My name is Severus Snape and you need to come with me."

"I really don't think I need to go anywhere with you."

"Please just come with me, Hermione."

"Why do you keep calling me Hermione? I already told you that's not my name."

"Jean? Who are you talking to?" A deep voiced man called from the doorway.

"No one, Ivan. Just leave me alone for a bit longer."

"You know Master wants to see you." The stranger chided.

"I know. Now leave me alone."

"Jean?" Severus arched an eyebrow at her. "As I recall, that was your middle name."

"You must remember wrong then. Now please leave me be to finish my bath."

"Please just come with me."

"Why do you want me to go with you?"

"Because we are the only ones able to protect you from the Death Eaters."

"What are Death Eaters?"

"Voldemort's followers. Now please. I am tired of asking." Severus was contemplating just grabbing her and disapparating.

"Look I don't know who this Voldemort is, or why he would want me. I'm no one. I'm just a dancer."

"You are a very powerful witch."

"Now I know you are crazy."

"I taught you myself. You set my robes on fire with the same blue flames when you were eleven."

Someone pounded on the large doors. "Jean! When I say I want to see you, I mean I want to see you now!"

Terror flashed over her face and she looked at Severus. "Can you get me out of here?"

"Grab your clothes and give me your hand." Snape held out his hand in invitation.

Eyes wide she pulled herself out of the water, threw her cloak over her shoulders and grabbed up a bundle. Sighing she placed her hand in his. "I can't believe I'm doing this." Severus closed his fingers around hers and disapparated

They landed in front of the small gate Severus used to attend revels and he helped steady her. She bent over and held her stomach.

"What the hell was that?"

"Apparation. I do recall you were never very fond of it." He pulled out his wand to unlock the gate.

"You're absolutely nutters." She muttered.

A dozen pops indicated the arrival of more people. Severus grabbed the dancers arm and swung her around between him and he gate. All of the newcomers wore black robes and the silver Death Eater masks.

"Why Severus, thank you so much for finding the mudblood for us. You see we couldn't find her anywhere. But I knew you would." A form stepped forward and removed her mask.

"Narcissa. How wonderful to see you."

"Now just hand her over."

"I hardly think I'll just give her to you." Severus growled dangerously fingering his wand.

"Very well. Boys, take care of him and stun her." Malfoy stepped back to allow the other figures to move closer, wands out.

"Wait." Jean stepped out from behind Severus hands out in front of her.

"No don't." Severus tried to grab her.

"You're really just going to come with us?" Narcissa fairly squealed.

"Nope." The dancer closed her eyes and sent a wall of blue flame at the Death Eaters.

Severus unlocked the gate and pulled the younger woman after him. Quickly he closed and locked the gate before anyone could recover. "Are you alright, Hermione?"

"I'm fine. But my name isn't Hermione." She turned and followed the path towards the castle.

Shaking his head Severus followed. "Bloody Gryffindors."


	4. Lemon Drops

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

"Herm- Jean you might want to put on some clothes. There is someone I think you should talk to." They had reached the door that lead to his quarters.

"Fine. It was getting a bit drafty anyways." She opened her bundle and pulled on simple breaches and an old shirt, buttoning it under her cloak.

Satisfied, Severus lead her through the passage to his rooms and straight to the fireplace before she could look around. Using a handful of floo powder he shouted the destination and shoved her in quickly following with another handful of powder.

"Minerva please forgive my intrusion." Severus helped the younger woman to her feet and brushed ash off their clothes.

"You did find her." The headmistress stood from her desk wrapped in a tartan dressing gown. "Hermione, my dear, it's been too long."

"Why does everyone insist that I am this Hermione?" The young woman asked crossing her arms.

"Oh my dear, I'm afraid that is what this all meant." McGonagall went to an ornate cabinet and opened it. She pulled out a brown paper wrapped box.

"After you left Hogwarts upon completing your NEWTS, you sent me this with the express instruction to never open it unless you needed it." She sat the box down on her desk then looked up at a large portrait hanging above her chair. "Albus, we are out of lemon drops."

Severus looked puzzled until he saw the only inhabitant of the frame stir in the chair he had been sleeping in. "How long has it been since you ordered some." Albus Dumbledore asked rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

"Two years." The headmistress responded.

"I thought I had left you better stocked than that." He smiled down at them all.

"It seems that someone needed them more than I." Minerva motioned at Jean.

"Ah. Jean how lovely to see you again." Dumbledore greeted her. "I take it dancing worked out for you?"

"Very well, sir." She curtsied.

"Whatever seems to be the matter then?" The painting peered at his successor.

"Narcissa Malfoy has discovered a way to bring Voldemort back and Hermione is required to do it." Severus summarized.

"Well my dear you might want to open the package you left here." Albus pointed at the box on the desk.

Jean went to the table and pulled off the wrapping. Inside sat a letter which she read silently her brow furrowed. Nodding to herself, she reached into the box and pulled out a vial full of liquid. Before Severus could stop her she tossed back the vial and swallowed its contents. All she managed to do was blink twice before she gasped and fell to the floor clutching her head.

Instantly Severus was at her side pulling her hair back out of her face. A moment later and her tight muscles gradually relaxed and she opened her eyes. For a moment, the young woman just looked up at the potions master from where she lay partially in his lap.

"Jean, are you alright?" He asked with more care than he usually exuded.

"Who's Jean?"

Dumbledore smiled down from his portrait. "Welcome back, Miss Granger."

"It worked." She sat up and shook her head experimentally.

"My dear, what was that?" Minerva demanded, helping her former student into a chair and pushing a cup of tea at her.

"Well it would take a long time to explain all of how it worked, but essentially I removed my own memories and went into hiding. I knew the Death Eaters wanted something with me so I tried to hide any information from them. The potion returned my old self, though perhaps I should have used more spearmint." Hermione elaborated and licked her teeth to remove the foul taste.

"So you hid with a group of gypsies, dancing for muggle men to distract them while your companions stole everything they had." Severus snorted from where he retreated by the fire.

"It worked didn't it?" A fine brown eyebrow went up in his direction.

"What about the Master that wanted to see you?"

A shiver went down her spine. "Master is a greedy pig who killed the previous leader and tried to make me his mistress. He didn't like that I refused him."

No one spoke for a moment as Hermione just sipped her tea. Finally the bushy haired Gryffindor spoke. "So how do they intend to bring back that evil snake anyways?"

All eyes turned to the potions master. "They have discovered that he can be born back into this world as a child."

"And what does this have to do with me?"

"You carry a tiny piece of his soul within you still."

"Why me?" Hermione forgot she was holding a tea cup and accidentally dropped it.

"Because you are the only woman who destroyed one of his horcruxes."

Hermione jumped to her feet. "What about Ginny?"

"Miss Weasley was possessed by him, but she did not destroy the diary, Potter did." Albus supplied.

"Oh." The sound was so tiny and defeated. "That's why you brought me out of hiding. They only need my body, not my knowledge."

"I believe you are right Miss Granger. It may have been a while before they found you, but they would have eventually. Their appearance here tonight proves it." Snape indicated.

Hermione reached into the box and drew out her wand. She caressed it for a moment before picking up the teacup and cleaning up her mess. "So what shall I do now?"

Albus looked over his glasses at the young woman. "Perhaps it would be best for you to stay here. Within the grounds of Hogwarts At least for the time being."

"Of course. I would much rather be here than Gringotts of course"

"What was that?" The portrait inquired.

"Just something from first year when you had the Sorcerers Stone brought from Gringotts. No safer place to be except maybe Hogwarts And I've broken into Gringotts myself before."

"Of course, dear child." Dumbledore smiled down at her as a gentle chiming came from one of the many silver instruments still displayed around the office.

Minerva finally closed her mouth and moved forward slightly. "That's the breakfast bell, Miss Granger. I am sure it would be better for fewer people to know you were here."

"I will take her Minerva. I know of some rooms where students are unlikely to discover her. I will also ensure she has food." Severus at once volunteered.

Both of the woman in the room looked at him in confusion. "Very well. You are less likely to be missed than I am. Please see to it she has everything that she needs." McGonagall nodded in clear dismissal.

"Thank you for everything, Professors." Hermione placed the teacup back on the desk and left the office, Severus following behind her.


	5. I'm Bored

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

"Where do you think you are going?" Severus asked as she made the automatic turn towards Gryffindor tower.

"I assumed I would be near my old commons room." Hermione turned back to where he stood arms crossed over his chest.

"Please use some of the brains I know you have. You can hardly stay with your old house mates if you plan on staying out of sight."

She sighed. Of course he would be right. "Alright, where are we going?"

"Follow me." He turned and walked off his robes swirling behind him.

They walked quickly stopping several times to avoid running into students and Hermione noticed that they were going down steadily downwards. At last they reached the dungeon levels and the temperatures dropped with every step. The thin clothes she wore did nothing to keep out the damp chill and she realized she was barefoot. Refusing to ask the potions master to stop so she could summon some footwear she pulled the cloak tightly around her shoulders.

After what seemed like forever they stopped between two rather ornate torch brackets. "Salazar Slytherin." Severus spoke clearly to his female companions confusion.

Hermione gave a little "Oh" of understanding as the blank wall between the brackets fell back and became a door. "Will that be the password then?"

"Unless you feel the need to change it." Severus lead the way into the rooms. "This was Salazar's personal residence when not in the Chamber of Secrets."

The Gryffindor audibly gasped. Never had she thought the rooms could be so different from the chamber that held the basilisk. Thick rugs were scattered around the sitting room with comfortable looking chairs near the fire with a large couch. The fireplace was built of a shimmery marble, almost silver, which complemented the green black and silver decor.

Severus lead her to the bedroom which was decorated the same as the sitting room. In the center of the room was a large four poster bed of black wood and deep green curtains bearing silver embroidery. The bathroom attached to the bedroom featured a deep floor level tub and ornate porcelain features. But what had Hermione standing in total awe was the walls covered in shelves stuffed completely full of old books.

Instantly she went over and pulled one off of the shelf. "I take it the rooms are acceptable?" Severus smirked at her. She was as fond of books as he was.

"Absolutely. Thank you Professor." and She was back in the book again.

"Anything you need should be in the bathroom already. Just use the floo to call up to the kitchens for breakfast."

Hermione nodded her head that she had heard him not looking up. Severus turned and let himself out of the room walking the 20 feet to his office. Saturday just two detentions in an hour and grading. Nothing to do with the Dark Lord or the brunette in the next room.

Hermione finished the book and looked up at the time. Half past nine already. Scratching her head she went into the bathroom to properly bathe and rescue her hair from the tangled rats nest it had become. When she finished she found a set of simple black students robes without house colors in the the wardrobe and put them on. Realizing she was ravenous, Hermione went to the floo and threw a pinch of the dust in the flames. The moment they turned bright green she knelt down calling "the kitchens." before sticking her head into the fire.

A house elf sat on the hearth and startled badly when Hermione sneezed from the ash swirling around her. "Bless you miss." The elf cried squeakily. "What can Winky be getting you miss?"

"Winky? You're still working here?"

"Does miss know Winky? What did I be doing wrong?" The elf wailed pulling on her ears.

"No, no, don't do that, Winky. You didn't do anything wrong. I met you a few years ago, with Harry Potter." Hermione whispered her friends name knowing that if any other elves heard it they would all try to give her food. Harry was the savior of the elves after all having saved Dobby in his second year and defeating the Dark Lord.

"Winky isn't saying nothing. Miss shouldn't bother poor Winky after what Dobby did for Potter boy."

"Oh Winky, I am so grateful for what Dobby did. He saved my life. He saved all of us that day. I'm just sorry we couldn't save him." Hermione could feel the tears pricking her eyes.

Winky's lip quivered and her eyes grew wet. "Dobby saved Potter?"

"He saved many people. Vol- He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named wouldn't have been defeated without Dobby."

"Dobby saved lots of people?"

"He has a beautiful grave at the beach. Harry dug it himself." Tears leaked freely down her cheeks now.

"It sounds so nice miss." Winky wailed wiping her eyes on her tea cozy.

"I'm sure if you ask Professor McGonagall, she would let you visit." The Gryffindor suggested.

Winky nodded excitedly her ears flapping against her head. "Thank you miss. Can I get miss any food?" The elf looked so hopeful.

"That would be wonderful, Winky. Could I get some ham sandwiches?"

"And pumpkin juice?"

"That would be great." Hermione pulled her head out of the fire and wiped her eyes.

A few minutes later Winky popped in with a tray. The elf set down the tray bowed low and popped out again. Smiling Hermione scanned the bookshelves. To her dismay she could remember reading all of the books she saw. Only one more book jumped out at her. Sighing she took it over to the chair and munched on a sandwich beginning to read.

Finished with the book she looked at the clock again. Only three in the afternoon. Sighing again she wandered the rooms looking for anything to entertain herself with. Another hour passed and she gave up rereading books she had read as a student. Placing the tome back on the shelf she went to the door.

She opened the door and peeked down the corridor. A wall sat close indicating the end of the hall. The other direction no one was in sight. feeling like a student out after hours Hermione left the room and crept down the hallway.

The next door down was the entrance to Snape's potions classroom. The door was closed but she didn't hear anyone inside. Carefully she opened the door. A second year student was up to his elbows in newt entrails and didn't look up. Severus, however, didn't miss the movement of the door.

"Ah Profezor, could I haf a moment?" Hermione put on a light Bulgarian accent having spent enough time with Victor to pull it off.

"Come back to my office. Higgens, keep sorting. That is cauldron one of three." Severus commanded stiffly.

The bushy haired Gryffindor followed the potions master through the door to his office where she closed the door.

The dark robes man had his arms crossed. "You haven't even been here 12 hours and you have been seen."

"Tell anyone that asks that I'm an apprentice from Bulgaria. I'm just bored."

"There is a quite large library in there. Go read a book."

"I've read everything in there already."

"How could you do that?" He asked suspiciously.

"There were only two books that I hadn't read and I finished them. The rest were in the main library while I was a student."

"You've read everything in the library?" Severus arched a dark eyebrow arms still crossed.

"I was here for 6 years."

"Even the restricted section?"

"McGonagall gave me permission."

He sighed and uncrossed his arms. "You are still just as vexing now as you were as a student."

She at least had the sense of mind to hang her head. "But I'm bored. I just need something to do."

If Hermione had been watching her old potions master she might have been inclined to retract her last statement as he clearly thought of something nefarious. "Something to do. Well I suppose I could find something. How about you start with organizing and relabeling the store room."

Realization hit her as she gaped at him. Quickly she closed her mouth. "Very well, I'll start right away." She turned on her heel and walked out of the office.


	6. The Apprentice

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

Hermione worked silently until Severus finally told the second year his detention was over and the dinner bell rang. He stood and waited for her to emerge but after five minutes he became impatient. Walking over to the store room, he wrenched open the door.

Obviously he had startled her because the moment he opened the door she gasped and knocked him back with a blast of blue flame from her hand. Severus landed hard and smacked his head on the floor causing him to bite his tongue hard enough to draw blood. As soon as she realized her mistake Hermione rushed to his side.

"I'm so sorry, Professor. I thought you were a death eater. You just startled me."

He sat up and rubbed at the lumped forming on the back of his head. "I was only going to ask if you wanted company for dinner."

"Well you needn't have opened the door so quickly. Let me see." She quickly parted his hair and looked at the bump. Thinking twice about it she pointed her wand at the back of his head and muttered a mild healing spell.

His eyes widened when he realized she had taken the time and energy to heal him. To cover his surprise he pushed her away and stood. "Its fine. You shouldn't be so jumpy."

"I'm sure you can't blame me knowing there are still his supporters out there. Specifically after me." She stood and brushed off her knees.

"But you should feel safe here." Severus knew he was sounding dense but he always felt safe at Hogwarts even during the reign of the Dark Lord.

"Well I don't." Hermione snapped and stomped out of the room.

Severus looked thoughtfully after her for a while. Giving up on the bases of not understanding women he shook his head and looked in the store room. Everything was of course arranged perfectly and labeled in clear print and sorted alphabetically. Perhaps having her as an assistant wouldn't be such a bad thing.

On the walk up to the great hall Severus recalled the past assistants he had employed. One had been a lump of a woman with none of the finesse required for potions she hadn't lasted more than a week. One had been a Death Eater Voldemort had instructed him to train so the Dark Lord could have more potions made. That man had met the unfortunate demise of mixing the wrong ingredients exploding the cauldron, covering himself in the goop, and swelling to the point of explosion. He had made a satisfying pop when his skin finally burst, though it had taken six nights of first year detentions to scrub him off every stone surface. Dumbledore recommended one person that for the life of him Severus was unable to determine the gender of. All of the girls had fawned over it along with a few of the boys. There was some promise with that one, but Severus drove it off with his constantly sour attitude.

He was as close as he ever got to smiling when he entered the great hall and purposely took the seat on the headmistresses right. "Minerva, would you mind terribly if I took an apprentice?"

The fine powdered sugar on top of the piece of carrot cake McGonagall was raising to her lips was blown spectacularly from the desert and settled on her black robes. "Are you sure you can handle this along with the extra supervision needed currently?"

"I doubt it would be a problem."

"Who is this unfortunate soul?" Minerva managed to finish her cake.

"A young, bushy haired Bulgarian called Anelia Iskra. I believe she was a friend of Viktor Krum's." Snape covered his smirk by taking a drink of tea.

"What brought this on?" The headmistress studied him carefully.

"She's bored and asked for something to do this afternoon so I had her sorting my potions stores. I would have to say she does meticulous work."

"That is an absolute complement coming from you. Has she agreed to this?"

"She will."

Severus swept out of the great hall leaving a concerned headmistress still seated at the table and made his way back to his rooms. He threw a bit of floo powder into the flames and stepped through to the kitchens. Winky was sitting where she always was when not on an errand.

"Master Snape sir." Winky jumped up and bowed.

"Winky, I would like a tray with sandwiches and pumpkin juice for two people."

"Of course sir." Winky bounded two steps before she turned back. "Is this for Miss Hermione?"

"How do you know Miss Granger is here?" Snape fingered his wand in his pocket.

"Miss Granger asked for sandwiches for lunch today." The house elf was clearly trying to figure out if she was in trouble or not then she continued. "She said I might get to see Dobby."

Severus pondered for a moment then knelt down to her level. "Winky, Miss Granger will be here for a while. She will be my apprentice but no one can know that she is here. It is a matter of keeping the Dark Lord from returning. She will be going by the name Anelia Iskra. Please use it."

Winky looked horrified. "Winky will shut her ears in the oven for saying wrong name." She began twisting her ears.

"Winky, I forbid you to punish yourself for this." Snape said sternly. "Just make up that tray and I will ask the headmistress if you may visit Dobby."

"Oh thank you sir. The others be saying you are cruel and heartless but you has a heart sir." Winky bowed low again.

The potions master stood. "Go on Winky. Bring the tray to Miss Iskra's room in ten minutes." He returned to his chambers through the floo.

Severus walked down the short hallway to the section of wall hiding Salazar's old chambers. He paused the moment before he spoke the password raising his hand to knock instead. Only a moment passed before the stone morphed into wood and the door open Hermione's bushy head poking out.

"What?" She arched an eyebrow at him.

"May I come in?"

"Why?"

"Just let me in. I need to talk to you and have no desire for any miniature idiots to wander down here."

"Fine." Hermione disappeared out of the doorway and the older man followed closing the door.

She stood in front of the fire with her arms crossed. "Well?"

"Are you still bored?" He asked despite the obvious answer.

"What do you think?"

"I will assume so. Thus I have a proposition for you." He didn't wait to be invited to sit on the lush green velvet couch. "I would like you to become my apprentice under the name Anelia Iskra from Bulgaria."

"Where did you come up with that name?" Hermione asked incredulously dropping her arms.

He waved her question away. "I made it up. Now are you interested?"

"Will I be allowed to leave the dungeons?"

"Yes, but you must always use the accent."

"Alright. Anything to have a bit of freedom."

"Excellent. Just one more question, have you eaten dinner?" At that moment Winky popped in with the tray, sat it on the table, and popped back to the kitchens.

Hermione fell on the sandwiches, hungry after working in the store room for hours, rubbing her belly in satisfaction. "Thank you. How did you know these were my favorite?"

"It's my job to know things." Hermione just arched her eyebrow at the older man. "Alright. Winky told me it's what you ordered earlier."

She watched him for a moment until he seemed to remember all of the sandwiches were gone. He stood and brushed at his clothes absentmindedly unnerved by how he had felt inclined to tell her the truth.

Before the silence became too unnatural, Hermione yawned broadly trying to cover her mouth. "I do apologize Professor, but I am exhausted. What time would you like me to be ready to work tomorrow morning."

Grateful for the way to extract himself from her rooms he stood. "After breakfast would be suitable. I will see you then." He beat a hasty retreat to his own rooms and readied himself for sleep.


	7. Torture From Afar

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

In the early hours of the morning, before the sun had even begun to lighten the horizon, Severus woke to the dark mark burning savagely. The sudden pain wiped all memory of his dreams from his mind and caused him to sit straight up in bed. It was all he could do to not scream in pain to the darkness of the room.

He slapped his hand over the mark and gritted his teeth. At no point would it be wise to answer the burn. It was not meant as a call, but as punishment. He had been a spy for years and he had not turned over Hermione to the Death Eaters. He had taken her to the one place they could not easily get her.

Another wave of pain spiraled out from his forearm and a small groan escaped his thin lips. Quickly, the potions master went to his store room and retrieved a strong pain potion and a sleeping draught. He downed both potions and flopped back onto the bed praying he could return to the land of nod.

Hermione ate breakfast alone in her rooms before presenting herself outside the potions classroom. Uncharacteristically nervous, she smoothed her clothes and raised her hand to knock. The thud echoed away as seconds became moments and dragged into minutes and still no one answered. At a loss for what to do she looked at her watch and saw that it was well past the usual breakfast time.

She steeled the courage that made her a Gryffindor and tried the latch. The door swung open revealing the potions classroom looking as it normally did except for the office door hanging open and the storeroom door sitting slightly ajar. Wand out, she checked the store room but it was only missing a few vials of simple potions so she turned instead to the office door.

The first thing Hermione noticed in the dark room was a form laying slumped over the desk. A soft whisper and the tip of her wand glowed brightly casting a beam of light over the pile of black cloth. She recognized the potions master immediately and jumped into action, lighting the fire and torches around the room to provide enough light while leaving her wand free. Then she approached the unconscious man, carefully placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Professor? Are you alright?" She gently shook him and was rewarded with a small groan.

A few more shakes and he began to stir and finally sat up rubbing his face. "Granger, what are you doing here?"

"You told me to meet you after breakfast but you didn't answer the door. Are you alright?"

He looked around for a moment and spotted a vial in his right hand. "I am fine for now. Today I require you to brew a cauldron full of powerful painkiller and a cauldron full of dreamless sleep. I must visit Madam Pomfrey."

Severus quickly stood and swept out of the office paving a fairly confused Hermione kneeling by his desk. Shaking her head she went back into the classroom and began pulling out the necessary items to brew the two potions.

Severus returned at the same moment she was bottling the two potions and labeling them neatly. He swooped in and grabbed one of the painkillers off of the table and downed it in one swallow.

"Couldn't Madam Pomfrey help?" Hermione inquired as he sat and rubbed his head.

"No, she can't do anything and the painkillers won't help for much longer."

"What's wrong?" She approached carefully and barely touched his robes.

"Nothing is wrong." Snape tried to snarl through the pain burning up his arm.

"You don't take painkillers when nothing is wrong."

Face screwed up in pain he confessed. "Narcissa is using the dark mark to torture me from afar. Since she cannot enter Hogwarts she is going to drive me mad."

"What about removing the dark mark?"

"It can't be removed." He sighed and hung his head.

Hermione was silent for a moment before speaking. "May I see it?"

The look he gave her was if this was the oddest request he had ever heard. But he pushed up his sleeve and bared the mark to her. He didn't even want to look at the angry black mark the skin surrounding it was red and irritated where he had scratched it through his thick robes.

Hermione studied the mark before gently touching the scratched skin around it. Severus was actually surprised that her touch was cool and it soothed some of the burning itch that was driving him mad.

"Stay here." Hermione admonished getting up before he noticed she had moved.

The painkiller dulled his mind some and he was gently drifting off from exhaustion when she returned with a rag, a jar of salve, and a small vial of pink liquid.

Before she applied anything Hermione held up the salve and spoke to him. "Dittany for where you scratched it." She dipped out some of the cream on her finger and smoothed it around the mark carefully not to touch the angry tattoo. This time she held up the vial and the rag. "Essence of Murtlap to ease the burn." Carefully, she poured two drops onto the rag and laid it over the tattoo.

The relief that showed on his face made her smile before standing and offering a hand to the older man. "You should rest before you have class tomorrow."

He didn't say anything as she lead him into his rooms and to the bed where he collapsed on the covers. Severus was asleep within moments and Hermione left the room.

She made her way up to the library and settled down with a large pile of books.

Severus hadn't moved from how he had fallen asleep until a sharp knocking on his door woke him. He shook off the rag and opened the door one hand on his wand in case of attack. Hermione's bright smile beamed at him through the crack and he opened the door.

"What do you want?"

"I vas just going to help you get ready for the class." She feigned the accent and held up the salve and vial.

"Of course. How could I have forgotten." He did not want her in his rooms but wanted to appear weak in class even less.

"I thought I would help in class that way if something happens I can distract the students. And I had some ideas last night on how to remove the mark." She applied the dittany and murtlap essence before settling his sleeve over the bandage.

"No. I refuse to have you being a distraction in my classroom."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "I distract you?"

"Hardly." He pouted and looked away.

"Well too bad. I talked to Minerva already and she thinks it would be a good idea. Now eat some breakfast." A tray popped in carried by a house elf who quickly popped back out again.

Severus glowered at the young woman telling him to eat. "I'm not hungry."

Her look was poisonous enough that he didn't want to argue any further. After all she had reduced some of the pain in his arm. He shut his mouth and worked on the toast and juice before him. They sat in comfortable silence until the first bell of the day.


	8. Burn it With Fire

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

The day went well. Hermione kept up her fake accent, the students focused on their work, leaving her to begin experimentation on a method to remove the dark mark. Severus lurked over students shoulders until they either finished their potions or exploded the mixture. By the end of each lesson, Hermione would notice he was scowling harder than usual and he would rub absentmindedly at his arm and she would reapply the salve.

The third time she forced his sleeve up, he tried to fight it saying it was fine and didn't hurt. She simply shushed him and continued working. At last, the classes were done for the day and they just relaxed in chairs close to the fire in Hermione's rooms. Granger was thankful she didn't have to contort her mouth for the sake of the accent any more and Severus rested his eyes. A migraine started behind his left eye at lunch and only got worse as the day went on. Now it pounded with each beat of his heart and pulsed under the thin skin of his forearm. Pain potions were having no effect already and Snape vaguely wondered how long he could keep it up before he cracked.

Hermione opened her eyes and spoke softly. "The potions aren't having any effect anymore are they?"

He shook his head as little as he could.

"You should sleep when you can." She suggested.

The older man tried to nod but exhaustion overtook him and he fell asleep in the chair next to the fire. Hermione just smiled and got up from her chair to sleep in her own bed.

The rest of the week followed the same pattern, Hermione would force the older man to let her take care of the tortured tattoo and assist in class. More students were completing their potions as Severus spent more time resting at his desk and Hermione taught more. She would spend all of her spare time researching a way to remove the link Narcissa tortured him through. Every night Snape would fall asleep in the chair and after the third night he began waking up with nightmares.

The first night it happened Hermione woke in the early hours of the morning to the sound of someone pacing in her living room. She found a very agitated Severus pacing and tearing at his arm. It took the Gryffindor 20 minutes to get the older man to sit down and allow her to heal the jagged scratches and that required her threatening to hex him into immobility.

The second night, Hermione left her door open and woke when he gasped in pain. Severus mumbled in his sleep for several minutes about the nightmare that plagued him. He saw over and over the night he took the dark mark. The revel with muggle women to torture and the pain of the brand sloshing together in his empty stomach to make him sick. Hermione held him until he quieted and stopped trying to gouge out the tattoo and he slowly woke.

Despite her best efforts to get him to talk, Severus would never mention what torments Narcissa forced him to relive. He would clench his jaw and refuse to budge until the bushy haired Gryffindor moved on to a different subject. She just shook her head at the stubborn man and let him stew. She had her own nightmares to keep her company at night.

Severus remembered waking in her arms and secretly enjoyed the times throughout the day when she would so gently take care of his arm. He grew to enjoy her company and the kindness she showed him allowing him to sleep in her sitting room chair. Somehow it was easier to fall asleep through the pain while she was there.

Severus was floating on pain potions and sleep deprivation, vaguely watching Hermione grading the third year essays on wolfsbane when she froze in her movement. All he could do was stare at the rapidly expanding ink blot where the quill still rested on the page. Without a sound she laid down the quill and left the room. Snape didn't have enough willpower left to wonder what would cause her to blot a student's essay so badly and proceeded to pass out again.

Some time later Severus realized he was being shaken roughly. He pushed her hands away, not fully returning to consciousness. When he felt her undoing the buttons on his sleeve he pulled his arm away, letting it fall off the arm of the chair. The skin pulled tightly across the dark mark but the pain didn't register.

"Damn it, Professor." Hermione cursed and reached for his hand. He pushed her away again, head lolling against the chair.

"Stop it!" She shouted at him, slapping at the hand trying to push her again. "I said stop it!" Hermione actually slapped him across his face hard enough to make his teeth click together.

The desperation in her voice finally pulled him through the veil to consciousness. "Granger." He mumbled thickly. "Murtlap won't do any good."

"Hush. I figured it out." She held a piece of rolled up leather to his mouth. "Bite on this so you don't break your teeth. This is going to hurt."

The older man just blinked at the brunette pulling desperately at his sleeve. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to save you. Now shut up and bite this or I'm going to start anyways." Wisely he didn't argue and took the leather between his teeth.

"I'm sorry." Hermione mumbled and placed her thumb on his forearm so her nail just rested on the bottom most tattooed line.

She dug her nail into his tortured flesh, calling up her magic and pushing it at the dark mark. The blue flame crept from her thumb to the line and began devouring it, leaving burnt flesh behind. The fire burning along his skin and inside his flesh made the older potions master grimace and clamp down on the leather in his mouth. But despite the pain, he didn't move his arm an inch.

By the time she had finished, Severus had passed out. Hermione finished with a spell to test if the link was really broken, then healed his burnt flesh as best as she could. Lastly she applied dittany and wrapped a clean bandage around his arm. Wiping the sweat from her brow, Hermione pulled the leather from between his teeth and threw it in the fire.

Carefully she levitated the potions master out of the chair and to his bed. Hesitating for a moment, Hermione undid the buttons on his jacket and his other arm, but left him clothed. Exhaustion overtook her and she slumped into a chair near his bed, holding the older mans hand to keep him from scratching the still healing burn.

When he passed out, Severus thanked the darkness for it's sympathy. Nothing hurt in unconsciousness and he wished to stay there. Eventually the blackness rejected him, forcing his raged mind to accept waking. Vaguely he looked to the side and noticed Hermione sleeping in the chair. His arm itched below the bandage and he tried to scratch it.

The movement woke the younger woman and she kept a hold on his hand. "Don't touch it." She warned and closed her eyes to sleep again.

He obeyed and drifted off as well. When he awoke however, she wasn't there. He might have thought it was a dream when he noticed several long curly hairs on the chair. The effort of looking around exhausted him, and Severus slept again, ignoring his empty stomach and full bladder.

The next time he opened his eyes, Hermione was sitting on the edge of his bed with his arm in her lap. She was examining the wound and rubbing essence of dittany into the angry skin. It was several moments before he really understood what he was seeing. She had her back to him, long hair looking slightly unreal. Severus reached out and touched the honey and chestnut tresses.

"How do you feel?" She smiled over her shoulder at him.

"Like a dragon pooped me out." He mumbled, still playing with her hair.

"Well, you could use a shower. Feel up to it?"

He nodded uncertainly. "What time is it?"

"Lunchtime."

He groaned. "It's Friday isn't it? I missed my classes."

"I took care of them. And one Hufflepuff wished you well." Hermione helped him sit up. "Now don't get this wet. I'll put a repelling charm on it, but it won't do any good it you dunk it."

Severus forced his legs to obey his will and staggered to the bathroom. "Anything else you need?" Hermione called through the door.

"No thank you." He mumbled back from where he sat on the closed toilet just resting.

Eventually he did gather enough strength to undress and slide into the tub after relieving himself and brushing his teeth. The warm water felt good on his sore body. He felt as if he had been under the Cruciatus for hours then he realized he couldn't feel Narcissa digging at his mind any more. He sat up and looked at his bandaged arm.

Just as he was about to undo the wrapping Hermione's voice drifted through the door. "Don't touch it yet." He looked guiltily at the door and back at the bandage.

He grabbed the end of the bandage again but stopped at Hermione's tone. "Don't make me watch you take a bath."

Obeying, he left the bandage alone and washed, awkwardly washing his hair with one hand. When he finally finished and donned his thick black bathrobe he emerged to find Hermione sitting with two trays of food. They ate in silence before Hermione got up.

"Class starts in 10 minutes."

He began to stand up with her but was stopped by a raised hand. "You are to stay here and rest. And don't touch that bandage. I'll know if you do." She winked and left the room.


	9. A Snake in The Den

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

Severus wanted nothing more than to itch at his arm and to look at it, but he knew that she would know he had done it. No matter what he did to distract himself, the itching got worse until two hours had passed and he began scratching at the skin around the bandage. It alleviated some of the sensation, but not quite enough. His will held out just long enough for Hermione to come back in.

"How are you getting through my wards?" He tried to resist rubbing his arm.

"I'm your apprentice. Wards automatically open between master and apprentice. Let me see your arm."

Gladly he held out the appendage and watched her unwrap the bandage. The potions master looked past the scared and cooked flesh relieved to see every speck of ink was gone. "You did it?" He breathed with relief.

"Can you feel any of the connection still?"

"None at all." He went to touch the burn with his other hand and she slapped his hand away.

"I meant it when I said don't touch." Hermione retrieved the healing salve and spread it generously over his skin before wrapping it once again.

"Two more days it should be healed fully."

"Just out of curiosity, how did you do it?"

She shuffled her feet slightly. "Well I was grading those essays and remembered when you assigned the same one to me. Got thinking about Professor Lupin, and all the stupid things I did at school." She sniffled. "Then thought about the war, and remembered the fiendfyre."

She snapped her fingers and a tiny flame sprouted from her finger. "I've always had an affinity for fire and I learned how to control the fiendfyre. It destroyed everything in the room of requirement and I wondered if it could destroy the tattoo." She smiled brightly. "Looks like it did."

"I appreciate it." Severus spoke slowly.

"Ooh a genuine thank you from Severus Snape." She giggled then became serious. "It's the least I could do after everything you did to keep us safe at school."

"You should probably put in an appearance at dinner so the students don't start thinking I've murdered you to usurp your teaching position." Hermione left him in his rooms and returned to her own.

When be went up to dinner there was more than one group of students that looked disappointed that he had not been murdered by his apprentice. Minerva smiled broadly upon seeing the potions master back on his feet and looking significantly healthier. Hermione joined them at dinner, chatting in her false Bulgarian accent about how the classes went and nodded when suggestions were made.

The pudding was just appearing on the table when the doors burst open and a figure entered throwing back their traveling hood. Students had stood and most backed away from the wild eyed visitor.

"Mr Malfoy!" The headmistress exclaimed, standing quickly.

The blond man took a few steps forward and spoke. "Godfather, I need your help."

Severus stared down at his godson while quickly calculating. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Hermione quickly flee the great hall through the teachers entrance. The potions master jerked his head at the dungeons. Severus lead the younger man to his office and shut and locked the door.

"Why are you here Draco?"

"Are you well?" The blond looked the taller man up and down.

"Why are you here?" Severus repeated slowly.

The blond sighed and paced the small room. "Mother is furious. She has been spending a lot of time locked in fathers study. Last night I heard her scream and broke the lock. Her arm was withered, and her face burned. She kept saying that you had broken the dark mark, removed it."

"I have." Severus wasn't sure what the you her man was playing at.

"Then remove mine too! I never wanted any of this." Draco pleaded.

"I was not the one that removed it." Snape crossed his arms.

"Why did you do it though?"

"Do you know what your mother was doing while locked in the study?"

Malfoy shook his head and Snape continued. "She was using the dark mark to torture me. She was trying to drive me mad from pain. She was going to destroy me from afar and I only just survived." The dark man had advanced on his godson.

"But why?"

"Because I would not give her what she wanted." Severus hissed.

"What did my mother want?"

"She means to bring back the Dark Lord."

"And you can do that?"

"No. I cannot, and I would not allow her to either."

"How then? I don't understand."

"I am not going to be the one to explain it to you. Perhaps you should ask the viper you call a mother." Severus smeared down at the blond.

Malfoy's mouth twisted up and he plunged his hand into his pocket for his wand. The blond's hand never cleared his robe before he was hit with two stunners. Surprised, Severus looked up to see Hermione with her wand extended, standing in the store room.

"Well that was enlightening." She blew a strand of hair out of her face and rolled the stunned man over on his back.

"I had hoped that he would turn out better than his parents. I feel as if it is somehow my fault." Severus looked sadly down at his godson.

"He was not your responsibility." She tried to sooth.

"Perhaps not, but could I have done more?"

"I'm sure you did all you could."

"Don't presume to know me." The older man hissed angrily and she flinched

"Fine. Wallow in your self pity. It won't get you anywhere. All you can do is keep them from getting me and forcing me to give birth to that monster." Hermione stalked out of the office and slammed the door.


	10. Why Did You Hide

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

Severus brought the unconscious youth to the headmistresses' office and reported what had happened, leaving out the fight with Hermione. Minerva then called the Aurors and they retrieved the blond. When he returned to his chambers, he stood aimlessly for a moment.

He had become used to either reading in Hermione's room or having her grading in his. Severus sighed and tried pulling the pile of wolfsbane essays over. After staring at the dot left by Hermione's quill during her breakthrough on how to save him, he gave up and went into his bedroom. Even there she taunted him. Her hairs were still on the chair, and the imprint of where she had sat on his bed was still visible.

Growling under his breath, Severus left the dungeons and stalked through the halls. Two students were unfortunate enough to be caught in the halls after hours and both were assigned detention with Filch. He wandered through the corridors until something made him stop by a large door. Thinking back, he realized this was the entrance to the room of requirement. He didn't think he had walked down this corridor three times this night, so he pushed open the door quietly, hoping that another student was out of bed.

What he saw made him stop and stare. Hermione had the room recreate the gypsy tent where he had first seen her. She was dancing to a heartbeat thud from a magically pounded drum and his heart immediately took up the rhythm. All the potions Professor could do was watch the lithe woman dance and paint with the blue flame.

Animals began to form out of the flames, gamboling and dancing with her. A horse ran with a buck, a phoenix chased a cat, a terrier yapped at a parakeet. Then an otter spun in circles around Hermione's stomping feet. The blue creature looked silky and as lithe as the woman it represented. The otter passed through the ring of dancing animals and ran up to the Professor.

He reached out to the otter for it to sniff his hand. The moment the animals nose twitched and it stretched forward, all of the flames exploded. Hermione had finished her dance and lay on the floor with her chest heaving.

She suddenly became aware of another presence in the room and looked at the potions master. For a moment she seemed unable to decide if she should still be mad at him or not. Finally she sat up and just looked at him, deciding not to be the first to speak.

Severus broke the silence. "I couldn't sleep." It sounded lame even to his own ears.

Hermione nodded. "Neither could I."

"You dance beautifully."

"Thank you. It kind of became my life when I went into hiding."

"Why did you join the gypsies?"

"I didn't. I went to Amsterdam to dance at a muggle studio. The gypsies came through and they kidnapped me. Hence the chain." The brunette sighed sadly. "The old master really was kind, even if he did kidnap me."

"But then he was killed."

"Yes. He wanted to free me after a time. The man who killed him didn't know I was there. I tried to fight him that's when I learned I could control fiendfyre. He tried to force me then, but police had seen the fireball."

She rubbed her arms as if cold. "I could use the magic to put the muggles in a trance and they could steal all of their money. Master was reluctant to do anything to me in case I stopped performing and their money dried up."

"Things got worse." Hermione continued. "Master wanted me to willingly come to him so he began starving me. A nice horse handler brought me what he could, but the master found out and got rid of him." She shivered. "When you found me in Bath he ordered me to bath for him, then he was going to force me."

"No woman should ever be forced to do something she doesn't want to."

"Odd moral for an ex-Death Eater to have." She scoffed.

"I never forced a woman. I would kill them as soon as I could to spare them the humiliation and pain they would suffer at the hands of ones I once considered comrades." A pained look came over him. "Often in punishment I was made to take their place for spoiling their fun."

Hermione paled at his words. "I didn't realize." She whispered through her fingers.

"Few ever do." He began to turn away from her when she spoke again.

"I always knew you gave much to end the war, I just didn't know how much."

"I gave everything and I would do it again."

He strode angrily down the corridor fuming at how the woman could get under his skin and make him vulnerable. The openness into his soul that she elicited angered the usually stoic Slytherin. He had no desire to be dependent on anyone but he found himself seeking her company despite the emotions she brought up.

"Severus, wait." She called after him, making him pause on the stairs. "Let's just... Lets just go read together. I didn't mean to bring any of this up. I'm just frustrated that there isn't anything I can do except sit and wait like last time."

She looked up at him hopefully. Finally he nodded and she joined him on the stairs. Together they walked to the dungeons and entered the rooms she was staying in. They selected books, settled down in chairs and read in silence. Hermione was the first to fall asleep so Severus closed her book and floated her to her bed. For a moment he just looked at the young woman and petted her hair spread out on the pillow. Cursing himself for falling for her, he went back to his own rooms.


	11. Look What We Caught

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

Morning came, and Severus prepared for his day. It was Saturday, a cold winter day, and the sky didn't look like it was going to turn any brighter than the diffused gray it already was. His plans included breakfast, glower at some students, grading, take some points from some students, lunch, read with Hermione, take more points from students, dinner, and then rounds. The first thing that indicated his day was not going to go according to plan was he had to take points from two students for snogging in the corridors before he even got his morning toast. The second thing out of the ordinary was Minerva McGonagall rushing up to him just outside the great hall.

"Something has happened to Aberforth. I need you to go check on him." She panted, clutching at her side.

"Did the loon forget where he parked his goat or something?" Severus honestly thought this was rather witty. The headmistress, however, did not.

"Professor Snape, you will go down to Hogsmeade and assist Aberforth Dumbledore with what ever he needs for as long as he needs. Do I make myself clear?"

The potions master wilted slightly as the headmistress' lips got impossibly thin. "Transparently." He quickly retrieved his traveling cloak and exited the castle.

Muttering under his breath about the senility of the whole Dumbledore family, Severus didn't notice anything odd until he reached the Boars Head Inn. The sign had been changed to that of a severed goats head and bore lettering stating such. Several inappropriate images of a man and a goat were painted crudely on the exterior of the building and when he looked into the common room of the inn, several goats were loose inside. But Severus never got the chance to look for Aberforth as something heavy and solid connected with the back of his head and he saw stars before nothing.

Hermione rose, washed, dressed, and intended on visit breakfast but when she got there, she noticed Severus wasn't present. Leaning over, she caught Minerva's attention.

"Ah, Profezor? Vere is de Profezor Snape?"

"I'm sorry my dear, he had to go down to the Hogs Head to take care if a small issue." Minerva patted the younger woman's hand and returned to her tea.

"But vat sort of issue?"

"Nothing to be worried about. He will be back momentarily."

But he wasn't. Nor had he returned by the time lunch was served. Hermione would eat none of it, instead pacing in front of his door. After lunch had finished and no professor would go look for him, Hermione donned her cloak, and quickly left the castle before someone could stop her.

Upon seeing the vandalism to the outside of the Hogs Head, Hermione looked through the window. About 8 goats were huddled in a corner, each trying to get as far away from something as they could. Unable to make out what it was, she pushed through the front door.

"Aberforth? Severus?" She called out before she spotted someone suspended from the rafters by his wrists, toes barely scraping the filthy floor.

Severus Snape had been stripped of his jacket and shirt and beaten severely. Slicing curses had laid open his back in neat flaps, and bruises were coloring his clearly broken ribs. One elbow looked as if it had been snapped backwards, and blood clotted his long hair. Hermione reached out, trying not to touch any of his hurts but he didn't respond to her voice or her touch.

"Tsk tsk, I think we may have broken him his time." Someone purred from a dark corner. The hulking form of Fenrir Greyback stepped into the light as well as six other Death Eaters.

"I thought we were just going to have a bit of fun with him. But look what we caught instead." The werewolf reached a clawed hand out.

"Don't touch me." She spat at the men, raising her wand.

Greyback threw his head back and laughed before slashing the potions masters thigh with his claws. Severus groaned at the pain but didn't reach consciousness.

"No! Don't hurt him!" She cried out desperately.

"Cooperate and we won't." The werewolf grinned. "Otherwise, I think I might have to have a bit of a snack. His heart sounds tasty."

Hermione felt very much like little red riding hood looking at the teeth of the big bad wolf. She nodded and tossed over her wand. Death Eaters came forward and bound her hands. Soon they were all leaving the inn but Fenrir paused. He flicked Hermione's wand at the inn and set fire to the wood structure. The brunette sobbed as she watched goats jump through the windows to get away.

They apparated as a group, landing hard, but Greyback lead them up a small hill to a magnificent marble mansion. She felt all blood leave her face when she saw the name carved in the pale stone. Malfoy Manor. She sagged against her bonds and let her captors drag her up the stairs and into a grand sitting room.

Narcissa Malfoy was already seated and the werewolf plopped the younger woman down in another chair. The pale woman studied the defiant expression on the Gryffindor's face. She suddenly smiled and caressed one tear damp cheek with a withered finger.

"Oh, you are a strong one. Perfect for bringing our dear master back to us." She smiled evilly.

"Since you have decided to cooperate, I would like you to drink those two potions. She pointed a two vials sitting on a table.

"You can go choke on them." Hermione spat at the woman across from her.

Lightning quick, Narcissa backhanded the brunette and leveled her wand at her face. "Imperio!" She commanded.

Hermione tried to resist the other woman, but she was no match. Malfoy completely claimed her mind and spoke a command. The brunette Gryffindor watched in horror as she watched her hand pick up first one vial and swallow the bitter liquid, then the other. She felt the curse lifted and the potions settle in her stomach. First she felt nauseous, then it felt like a steel hand, ice cold, had grabbed her uterus and twisted.

Narcissa smiled broadly as Hermione screamed in pain and doubled over. When the younger woman sat up straight again, hate filling her eyes, Malfoy spoke.

"There. That wasn't really so hard, now was it?" She lowered her wand to Hermione's abdomen and whispered a spell. A bright purple rune floated over the tip of the wand for a moment. "Very good. Fenrir, take her to her room and have some fun. But do not infect her. If you do, I will personally skin you alive and make your hide into a rug for this room."

The werewolf grabbed a handful of Hermione's long hair and forced her out of the chair. "Don't worry precious, I won't bite." He grinned into her face. "This time."

He hauled her down a set of stairs and into a stone cell holding only a cot and a toilet. The big man flung her into the cell so she tripped and smashed into the cot with her stomach. "Oops, did you trip? Let me help you up."

Hermione screamed as his body pressed lewdly against hers and he lifted her into a standing position. He nuzzled her neck and lightly ran his teeth over the thin skin there, careful not to bite her. She shivered and he purred appreciatively as she rubbed against him involuntarily. He trapped her against the edge of the cot and forced her to lean forward onto the bed, one hand in her hair and the other on her hip.

"You're lucky you're carrying the Master, or I would take you right now. Likely split you right in two. But Narcissa doesn't want you too damaged." He ground against her, running a hand up under her jumper and over smooth skin.

"So how am I to entertain myself with you?" He contemplated, squeezing a handful of her ass.

"I can dance." She wheezed out with the limited breath she could get under his weight.

"Now that's one I haven't heard before." He sounded surprised but interested. Debating for half a moment, he got off of her and made sure the cell door was shut. "Alright. Dance."

Hermione shucked her shoes into a corner and shook her foot until the little charm was in the right place. She shook out her hair and let her hands rest at her sides. A deep breath and she began to stomp. Lightly at first, then harder as her heartbeat matched the pace she set. Even werewolf hearts will beat to a human rhythm when enticed to. And she was certainly throwing every trick she had at the big man. Soon, he was just staring open mouthed at her motions, and didn't even blink when she called up the fiendfyre.

It danced along the backs of her arms and between her fingers, casting a pale blue glow over her. Seductively, she folded gracefully towards the werewolf sitting half on the cot watching her. She ran her hands up his legs and scratched her fingernails down his thighs making him purr with appreciation.

Hermione suddenly dug her fingers into his flesh and snarled like a feral animal. She sent the fiendfyre through his body, charring his bones and cooking him from the inside out. Stepping out of the acrid cloud of burned hair and charred meat, Hermione pocketed both wands and pushed the fire at the base of the bars of the cell. The metal melted like butter after only a few moments.

Seeking her freedom, Hermione walked through the mansion, pushing the fire at the walls and burning everything in her path. It didn't take long for the alarm to go up, and as it did, she found a window, melting the glass into a puddle at her bare feet. Death Eaters rushed out as she climbed out through the window. Two were stunned before they could raise their wands, another tripped over his robes dropped his wand only to have it snapped by Narcissa as she ran to intercept another Death Eater.

She hit his wand just as he finished casting the killing curse. The blast missed Hermione running full tilt down the hill, setting fire to every flammable object as she went. "Just let her go you fools. If you kill her we can never bring back our lord." She screamed at him.

"But she's getting away." he pointed stupidly after her.

"That's fine. She can't kill our lord so we have 9 months to find her."


	12. Rest Up

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

Hermione was completely out of breath when she felt herself pass through the antiapparation wards and could disapparate to Hogwarts. She landed in Hogsmeade, and cried upon seeing the charred remains of the Hogs Head collapsed in upon itself. She stepped through the wreckage, not caring that coals burned her feet and that she cut herself on a hot nail. Hermione reached the place where Severus had been left hanging when the fire was set. There was no trace of his body in the ashes.

Hermione wept for her former Professor and her friend, smearing charcoal across her face as she wiped away tears. She let out an anguished scream of hatred and frustration. Furry filled her and she picked up a metal pipe, still hot enough to sear her flesh and she smashed the already burned timbers. She screamed and choked on the ash she kicked up in her fury.

"You all just let him die!" She shrieked at the people she could feel watching from behind curtains and shutters. "He gave everything he had to save you and you wouldn't save him!"

Her energy gave out and she collapsed in the ash crying and pounding her fists on the coals. Someone reached a hand down and tried to pull Hermione's long brown hair back. The young woman pushed the strangers hand away. They didn't leave, instead they tried to force her shoulders up.

"Go away!" Hermione yelled with all the force she could muster and shoved the person away. Abruptly she stopped when she recognized the sparkly blue boots now covered in dirt. "Rosmerta?"

"Come on dear. Have to get you up to the castle." The barmaid muttered, pulling the Gryffindor up.

"But everyone let him die. They did that to him and no one stopped them." She tried to explain hoarsely.

"Shush now and come with me. I promise it will be all better once you're up at the castle."

Hermione slumped and Rosmerta carried most of the exhausted woman's weight up to the castle. The brunette didn't consciously recognize anything until she blinked and found herself laying in a hospital bed, bandages around her feet and hands. Tears began automatically slipping down her cheeks and she tried to wipe them away, only succeeding in bashing herself in the nose with her bandaged hand. Everything was just too much and she passed out.

In the morning Hermione woke slowly blinking up at the mediwitch casting diagnostic spells over her. Madam Pomfrey smiled. "How are you feeling Miss Granger?"

It took a moment for her crisped throat to work. "I need an anti-pregnancy potion."

"Now now dear, I think it might be awhile before you're ready to be intimate with anyone." Poppy smiled down at her.

"Not contraceptive. Termination." Hermione gritted out.

"But but..." The witch sputtered and finally pointed her wand at the Gryffindor's stomach. "Oh dear." She cast another spell and repeated her last statement. "Oh, oh dear."

"What is it?" Hermione hissed.

"It can't be terminated." She whispered.

"Why not?" Hermione demanded sitting up.

"Purebloods developed a potion to protect fetuses since their birth rates were so low. Once it's taken the child cannot be aborted." The mediwitch shook her head sadly. "Who is the father?"

"No one! I can't keep this baby!"

"But we need children, we're a dying race."

"If this thing is born, humanity will become extinct. " Hermione swung her legs out of the bed despite the healer's protests. "I have to see the headmistress."

The Gryffindor stood and forced herself to ignore the soreness in her feet and hobbled past the curtain that had been drawn around her bed. The curtain of the bed next to hers wasn't drawn all the way and she saw someone laying face down on the bed, covered in bandages. She gasped and tore the curtain back. Severus Snape lay in the bed, unconscious.

Hermione cried out his name and knelt at his side. She gently touched one of his hands lying limply by his side, wrists bruised and torn from the ropes he had been suspended by. Carefully she pushed his hair behind his ear so she could see his face, turned sideways on the pillow. The brunette sighed in relief and pressed her face against his shoulder, weeping again.

Pomfrey tried to force her back into her own bed but she resisted. "No. I'm not going to leave him again."

"He's not going anywhere." The healer soothed gently.

"No!" Hermione said emphatically, pushing her hands away. The healer didn't give up until blue flames crackled up on her shoulders and arms, making it impossible to touch her without getting burned.

The headmistress walked in just as the mediwitch was debating how best to put out the blue flames flickering over her patient. "Oh thank goodness you're here headmistress." Poppy bustled over. "She just won't cooperate and now she's on fire." She pointed at the young woman kneeling on the ground, holding the potions master's hand and resting her forehead against his shoulder.

"I will deal with this. There is a lad in the hallway that got a tad too close to the Whomping willow." McGonagall approached the younger Gryffindor. "This is about the worst he's seen, but Poppy has gotten very good at patching him up."

Imperceptibly her hand tightened on the older mans. "I thought they had killed him when they took me." Hermione spoke softly, allowing the blue flame to putter out.

"Would you like a chair?"

Hermione nodded and moved so the bedside table could be transfigured into a decent chair. Minerva noticed that she didn't let go of Snape's hand. "Would you tell me what happened?"

The younger woman sighed, one hand tightly holding one of Severus' and the other barely touching his hair. She began speaking slowly and clinically to keep from breaking down into sobs again. The headmistress listened closely and sighed regretfully when told about the pregnancy and that nothing could be done. Finished and emotionally drained, Hermione just sat with her head low and twisted a piece of his hair between her fingers.

"For now there isn't anything you can do. Just rest and heal, and make sure he heals too. Severus is a terrible patient."

Hermione chuckled. "I know. I had to charm his bandage to warn me whenever he tried to take it off or scratch it."

"Yes, he was never very good at taking orders like that. I think you two will be right as rain in no time." Minerva stood. "I will do some researching on my end and see what I can come up with."

With that the headmistress left the hospital wing and returned to her office. Poppy bustled back over with the intention of forcing the young woman back into her bed but upon seeing her protectively sitting with Snape and the daring look in her eye, she wisely left her be. Instead she remade the bed and hurried off again.


	13. Three Months

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

Hermione dozed in the chair but snapped awake when someone brushed near her. Poppy just held out a jar of dittany

"That needs to go on his back, unless you want me to do it."

"I can manage. Thank you Madam Pomfrey"

The young Gryffindor unwound the bandages on her hands and looked at the pale flesh, only the barest mark showing where they had been healed the night before. Hermione warmed the jar between her hands and shifted in the chair in order to get a better view of the man's back. Carefully she lifted the bandages and pulled them off. She looked sadly at his marred flesh, she couldn't tell the difference between old scars and the new ones so she just spread the salve over every inch.

Finished with his back, Hermione spread the remaining balm over his shoulders, trying to sooth the strained muscles. Just the barest change in his breathing alerted her that he was awake. Quickly, she sat back down where he could see her and rubbed the remaining salve into her own scars.

He tried to speak but wasn't quite conscious enough yet and it only came out as a mumble. "Don't try to move yet, your muscles are still healing." She smoothed his hair away from his mouth and he swallowed.

"I thought they took you."

"They did. I escaped." She tried to reassure him and threaded her fingers between his again.

"Are you alright?" His fingers twitched in hers.

"For the most part."

"What's wrong?" He tried to roll onto his side but his ribs still protested.

"I said don't move yet." She chided the stubborn man and a tear slid down her cheek.

He untangled their hands and forced his appendage to move so he could wipe the tear away. "What can I do to fix it?"

Hermione forced his hand back onto the bed. "You get healed first and I'll tell you what happened later." He nodded wearily and fell asleep again.

Severus woke up just enough to mumble at her while she brushed out her hair and put on a robe. She shushed him quickly.

"Today is Monday. I have to go teach class. I promise I will be back as soon as the 2nd years are done melting all of your cauldrons."

Hermione made sure the blanket was up far enough to keep him warm and she left the hospital wing. He just lay there for a long time, wishing that there was a clock he could watch the time with. As the minutes passed, he had the strangest feeling that his hand was empty. He tried clenching and relaxing it, but the feeling remained.

An hour into classes and he began to wish for something to do. He tried allowing his mind to wander wherever it wanted, but it quickly conjured images of Hermione dancing and the feeling of her soft hands on his skin. He squelched that line of thought, not allowing himself the bare hope. Instead he systematically tightened each muscle, relaxed it, and took stock of his body. By the time Hermione returned, he had loosened his sore muscles enough to roll over in the bed.

He lay on his back, the blanket pushed down to his hips and his eyes closed, resting from the effort. Hermione had entered silently and just looked at him. His face was slightly pinched with pain, but his chest was bare. A double thump of her heart and she blinked again, realizing that she found him attractive. Not only that, but she also enjoyed his company. It wasn't like Ron, who she had enjoyed to watch shirtless, and loved to spend time with, it was something more. She blinked and pushed away all thought of anything more.

Severus startled when cool fingers touched his chest. "How do you feel?" Hermione asked him.

For a moment he lost his words with her hand resting over his heart. "Sore still." He finally managed to get out.

"There is some more dittany in the jar." She offered, moving her hand down his stomach where one slice had continued shallowly around nearly to his bellybutton.

"I think I just need to move around some." He caught her hand before his body could betray what the small touch did. "I'm about ready to go back to my own rooms. How about you?"

"Definitely."

Hermione helped him put on his jacket and boots and carried his heavy robe over her arm. Together they made their way back down to the dungeons and ate a quick lunch. before the next class started, Hermione rubbed another dose of dittany into his back and applied the last bit to her feet. He watched her massage the salve into her feet, pants rolled up her calf. Severus wanted nothing more than to be the one taking care of her hurts.

"Where is your anklet?" He asks suddenly, realizing it was gone.

"I think I lost it when I was looking for you in the timbers. Oh well, it's gone now."

The warning bell echoed through the stone walls and Hermione pulled her socks and shoes back on. "Well, I have to do class. I'll be back soon." She promised from the doorway.

"Wait. What's the date." He asked quickly.

"December 16th, why?"

"Nothing. Just keep losing track of the days." He shrugged and she left the room.

They took dinner in Severus' room, each lost in their own thoughts. Hermione finished her stew and chewed on her lip while staring into the fire. Finally he finished his dinner and piled their bowls on the tray they arrived on. Severus broke the silence at last.

"Will you tell me what happened?"

She sighed and nodded. "I'm not sure how they caught you, but Minerva said you had gone to the village to help Aberforth. When you didn't come back, no one would go looking for you so I snuck out."

"I found the inn vandalized and I went inside. I found you hanging from the rafters, bleeding. They ambushed me and I agreed to go with them if they stopped hurting you. They burned the inn down around you."

"Narcissa Imperioed me and forced me to drink two potions. One I think made me pregnant. The other was a pureblood protection potion so the fetus survives. She then gave me to Fenrir, but told him not to infect me."

She shuddered. "He was going to rape me. But I danced and distracted him long enough to kill him with the fiendfyre and escaped. I came back to the village but the inn was destroyed and I couldn't find your body. That's how I burned my hands and feet. I must have lost my anklet then. Madam Rosmerta brought me up to the castle and Madam Pomfrey healed me."

"I found you the next morning and wouldn't leave. Pomfrey and I had a bit of a fight over it, but I won out. You woke up that afternoon." She finished lamely, staring at her hands in her lap.

Severus blinked at everything he had just heard. "You shouldn't have given yourself up just for me."

"They were going to kill you and take me anyways."

"They tried to kill me anyways."

"Greyback was going to tear out your heart in front of me and eat it." She got up and paced around the room. "Don't question what doesn't matter now. All that matters is figuring out how to kill this thing inside me."

"We still have time."

"Three months. That's all I'll give you. I'll kill myself before I let that monster be born again." She rubbed her arms as if cold.

The potions Professor's heart stopped as he realized what she had just said. The beautiful woman before him was giving him just three months to figure out how to undo something that was designed not to be undone. After that, she would kill herself in order to save everyone else. Hermione took his silence for the conversation being over and slipped out of the door before he could call her back.


	14. Nightmares

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

Classes continued for the rest of the week, Severus and Hermione both taught the potions lessons. Or rather Hermione taught, and Severus sat at his desk alternating between furiously researching and watching her delicate movements. On one of the rare occasions he has been walking around the classroom with her, he saw the side of a cauldron begin to bulge, ready to explode. Quickly he grabbed the younger woman and protected her from the caustic contents of the cauldron.

The improperly made potion quickly ate through his robes and jacket, burning the already marred skin of his back. First making sure no students were hit, she dismissed the class and rushed the older man out of the room. She spared no effort in berating him for his stupidity as she washed the potion off with a sponge and healed his back again. Severus ignored every word and every twinge of pain glad only to have protected her.

"Severus, you aren't even listening to me." She threw down the disintegrating sponge and went to stand before him.

He only looked at her, suddenly realizing she had begun calling him by his first name. And he didn't mind. "I was just thinking." Her brown eyes were full of concern.

She sighed and played with a piece of hair that had been singed by the acid. "I appreciate what you did, but I can take care of myself."

He just nodded and she continued. "You go shower and make sure all of that potion is gone, I'll clean up the classroom."

Hermione looked around the classroom. The acid had eaten through a table leg and partially through the floor. She vanished the mess, repaired the table, and wrote a short note informing the unfortunate student he had double detention with Filch when he returned from the Christmas holidays. The brunette blinked. It was Friday and classes ended until the new term began in January. Thinking of all the things they could research, the Gryffindor finished up in the classroom.

Severus stood in the shower, on hand on the wall under the spray, the other resting limply on his thigh. He let the spray of water hit him full in the face trying to ignore images of Hermione dancing, or of removing his shirt. His body reacted against his mind and absently he stroked himself. The memory of her wrong but gentle hands rubbing his back or playing with his hair quickly drove him to his end. Coming hard, his legs went boneless and he sat down hard. He punched the wall until his knuckles bled.

He finished with his shower, dressed and healed his hand before Hermione returned. "Shall we go to dinner or stay here?" She smiled at him, oblivious to the turmoil within him.

"You go ahead, I think I'm just going to stay here." He sat down in an armchair and stared at the flames.

"So long as you promise to actually eat something." She left the room with a playful smile.

For a moment Severus twirled his wand at the fire, trying to make it turn the same blue as her fiendfyre. He succeeded and watched it dance along the logs. Cursing himself, he got out of the chair and followed her up to the great hall. He reached the chair next to Hermione at the same moment that the handsome young Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher did. The younger man had clearly already claimed the seat, but the glower the potions master gave him could have withered the pomade in his sandy brown hair.

Hermione was deep in conversation with Professor Flitwick about something pertaining to charms, and didn't notice that her other dinner partner had changed. Severus watched her out of the corner of his eye and noticed she rubbed at her stomach every so often. She also didn't touch much of her meal, just a bit of fruit and copious amounts of tea. When she did notice he older man sitting next to her she smiled and turned to him.

"I tought you ver going to eat alone tonight, Profezor."

"It didn't suit my mood." He commented absently, wanting to run away from her but also unable to.

For a moment she looked concernedly at him, but dismissed it as he struck up a conversation with Professor Sinistra. Hermione excused herself before dessert and went down to her rooms. She felt exhausted and got dressed for sleep, collapsing onto the bed. The brunette fell deeply asleep quickly and didn't wake when Severus knocked on her chamber doors.

The potions master saw her quick exit and was concerned, wanting to make sure she didn't need anything else before bed. He debated knocking on the door, if she wanted something she could easily get it herself, but he wanted to see her again. Making up his mind, he knocked. He couldn't hear anything through the door and assumed she had already retired for the night. Severus began to walk back down the corridor to his own rooms when he thought he heard something. To him it sounded like a dove and he stood listening at the door again but everything was silent.

About to give up, the hairs at the back of his neck prickled. Magic crackled over him and he panicked. Forcing open the door, he could hear Hermione scream again from the bedroom. The potions master opened the door as the bed burst into flames. He tried to get to the Gryffindor but the blue fire blocked his way. Snape shouted at her to wake up, but she was caught in her own nightmare and didn't hear him. Ignoring the fire he grabbed her and hauled her flailing body out of the bed.

He held her tight as she tried to fight off her nightmare. She clawed at his face and he held her small wrists down, pinning her arms between their chests. Instead she bent her head forward and bit him through his jacket. Severus couldn't stop her without releasing her hands, and he grimaced, crushing her tighter to him and whispering into her ear. Her eyes snapped open when she tasted blood in her mouth and his voice finally broke through and she completely awoke. Hermione balled her hands in his jacket and cried into his neck.

Eventually she cried herself out and just stayed where she was sitting in the older man's lap. He stroked her hair and rubbed her back until she stopped hiccuping and sighed sadly.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly.

Hermione nodded, her face still pressed against his shoulder and she felt the wet there. She pulled her face away and tried to wipe away her tears. The brunette panicked when she saw smears of blood on the back of her hand. The Gryffindor scrubbed at her face with her hands, trying to get the blood off. When she succeeded in scratching herself, Severus captured her hands again and forced her to stop.

She looked at his shoulder and saw the dark patch of wool. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." Hermione repeated over and over as she pulled her hands free and popped open the buttons on his collar.

He tried to sooth her but Hermione didn't hear his voice, just began crying again when she saw the double half moon marks where she had bitten him, drawing blood. She tried to kiss the wound better and he took her face in his hands, forcing the younger woman to look him in the eye and listen.

"Stop it Hermione. You thought you were being attacked, you didn't hurt me, you were just trying to defend yourself." He saw blood still on her lip and ran his thumb over it.

The confused look she gave him stabbed him deeply. "Come on, how about you stay in my room, that way I can wake you before the nightmare gets too bad again." He helped her to stand.

"But what about my...oh. " She looked at the remains of the once great four poster bed, now reduced to kindling. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's just a piece of wood."

"But it was beautiful."

"There are more important things than that." He soothed and lead her into his room. "You go lay down in the bed and I will stay out here. I'll hear you if you start dreaming again." Severus ran a damp cloth from the basin over her cheeks, removing all traces of blood.

Obediently she sat on the bed. "All the way under the covers." He cajoled and she did as told.

Severus cleaned up in the bathroom, healed the bite mark, and exited back to the sitting area of his rooms, leaving the door to the bedroom open. Hermione heard him moving around, and pressed her face into his pillow, smelling his shampoo. She sighed and fell into an exhausted sleep, thankful that most of the students would be leaving the next morning.

In the morning she found him curled sideways uncomfortably in an armchair. She left him where be was and went back to her own rooms. Severus woke a little time later, popping his neck and back and then going to check on Hermione. When he saw she wasn't in the bedroom he hurried to her chambers and pushed open the door. The brunette had showered, her hair hanging in damp strands down her back, and she had her shirt pushed up under her breasts, poking her flat stomach.

He breathed a sigh of relief at finding her safe. She startled at the sound and quickly pulled her shirt down over her stomach.

She blushed prettily. "Thank you for last night."

"You woke me from mine before."

"But you didn't try to burn the place down."

"That's just your self defense mechanism. And I have to say it's pretty effective."

Hermione looked sadly down at herself. "It didn't stop all this from happening."

"We will find a way to fix this, I promise." He said emphatically.

The younger woman just looked at him. "Let's go to the library. I'll look up cases of the protection potions use and you can try to find a way to counteract it." She suggested, grabbing her robe.

They spent all of the Christmas holidays in the library or Severus rooms, researching, eating lightly, or trying to escape nightmares. On Christmas day, Hermione opened the book she had been looking through the previous night and found a delicate anklet between the pages. Severus pretended not to notice her smile as she put it on. Too soon though, term began again and they were limited on when they could research. And Minerva could provide no information when asked about what she had found.

Hermione directed the classes while Severus researched alternative ingredients at his desk. Soon an entire month had passed and the Gryffindor was always absentmindedly rubbing her stomach. By two months, her hair had lost it's luster, and she clearly had no extra energy. Severus watched as the parasite sucked the life out of her. He took over classes and she sat at the desk instead. One Friday during the last class, Hermione looked up excitedly, immediately clasped her hands over her mouth and fled the room.

Severus waited for the last ten minutes of class to slowly tick by before shouting at the class to clean up and leave. He hurried after Hermione and found her sitting on the floor in his bathroom, head wearily resting on her arms on the toilet. Quietly he knelt down next to her and brushed her hair out of the way.

"Are you ok?" He asked, noticing how pale she looked.

"Morning sickness caught up with me." She smiled weakly.

"Come on. Let's get you into bed and fed." He offered his hand to her as she stood.

"Bed yes, food no." She stood slowly.

"You need to eat something."

"No." She shook her head emphatically. "I figured it out. I can starve it out."

"That can't possibly work, it will kill you too." He took her arms and wanted to shake her to make her see.

"Of course it'll work, it's already been working. See, I should have a bump by now." She raised her shirt and her stomach was still just as flat as it was two months ago.

"That doesn't matter. You can't do this."

She just looked up at him, still held by her shoulders. "Why Professor Snape, if I didn't know you I would say you actually care."

"I do care, you stupid twit." He shook her once and walked away.

She just stared blankly after him. "Well that was unexpected." And she fainted.


	15. Dear Heart

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

Severus stomped around the castle for 20 minutes before he sighed and turned back towards the dungeons. The door was still tightly shut as he had left it so he knocked. No answer so he paced in front of the door, unwilling to walk in on her. Finally he knocked again. When she didn't open the door, he pushed it open slowly. The sitting room was empty, but he saw her laying on the floor in the bedroom.

Quickly he went to her side and gasped when he saw a small pool of blood around her head. Forcing himself to remember to breath, he went to the fire and tossed in some floo powder. He stuck his head in the flames and shouted for Madam Pomfrey. Hearing her affirmation that she would be right there, he withdrew his head and returned to Hermione's side. Within moments the mediwitch was bustling towards him.

"What happened?" She asked quickly casting diagnostic charms over the younger woman.

"She got sick during class, and I found her after. We argued and I left. She must have fainted and hit her head."

Pomfrey gently felt Hermione's stomach and frowned. "The baby should be bigger than this."

"She hasn't been eating much, and just now she told me she would starve it out. That's what we argued about."

The mediwitch gently rolled Hermione sideways to lean against the potion master's legs. She siphoned up the blood, healed the cut on her forehead, and cast a few more spells. Lastly she pointed her wand at Hermione's stomach and studied the light purple rune that appeared. "Well, it seems to be working. Do you have any other ideas that might finish this?"

"Nothing that wouldn't kill her in the process too."

"I'm afraid I don't see very many options Severus." The healer shook her head sadly.

"Poppy, she told me two months ago that I had three months to fix it before she would kill herself to keep this child from being born." The wild look he gave the healer made her step back.

"I'm sorry Severus, but that might be the only way."

"No! I refuse to accept that. There has to be something you can do to keep her alive while starving that parasite." He shouted while gently cradling Hermione's head.

"Look at how thin her skin is, her hair is flat. The baby is sucking everything out of her. Anything we give her, it will take."

"We have to think." Severus fairly shook with anger but the unconscious woman moaned slightly. He quickly quieted and smoothed her hair, calming her.

"Alright. I'll look into some things and come back this evening. Keep her quiet and laying down." The mediwitch stood and looked at the two people on the floor. She saw how much the Gryffindor meant to the Slytherin and swore to do anything she had to in order to keep them together. She left for the hospital wing.

Severus gently scooped up the unconscious woman and placed her under the covers. He waited for what seemed like hours for something to happen. At last Hermione opened her eyes and looked at him. She smiled at the man sitting in the chair next to the bed, holding her hand.

"You came back." She tried to speak but be shushed her.

"Quiet now. Madam Pomfrey doesn't want you straining for now."

"Pomfrey was here?"

"You fainted and she made sure you were alright."

"But the baby?" Hermione tried to push down the covers be the older man stopped her.

"Quiet. We didn't give you anything. Poppy agrees with you, and she's going to see what she can do to help."

"Promise?" Hermione whispered.

"I promise we will do anything we can to end this. But I swear I won't let you die too." He squeezed her hand tightly in his.

"I won't be the harbinger of this worlds doom." She turned her face away, unable to meet his gaze.

"You won't be. Now sleep some more, Poppy will be back soon."

The mediwitch returned before dinner and bustled up to the side of the bed. "Any change?" She asked the potions Professor.

"She woke up for a few minutes. That's about it."

"Good. I have an idea of what we can do, but it will be easier if she is asleep. I will need your help though."

"Anything." He looked hopefully at the matronly woman.

"I am going to starve the fetus of blood but I need you to keep blood flowing everywhere else."

The healer set up at the side of the bed and pushed up her sleeves. Severus watched as the pulse at the side of Hermione's neck weakened before stopping altogether.

"Now keep her heart pumping for her. Do not falter."

Severus concentrated deeply and forced the muscle to clench and tighten then release. He timed it with his own heartbeat and the memory of the drum she danced to. He was concentrating so hard that he didn't notice at first that her heart began beating on it's own a moment before she sat up and screamed in pain. Poppy pushed gently at the potions master.

"That will be it, Severus. Now you shouldn't be here for this." She forced the dark man out of the room despite his protests and closed the door.

Unable to calm his own heart rate, he paced in the sitting room and flinched every time he heard Hermione's muffled scream through the door. Wanting to curse everything around him, he waited. The ticking of the clock on the mantle became oppressively loud in his ears and he blasted it to pieces. Pleased that no other noise encroached he waited without a clock to tell him how long it had been.

Eventually the screams turned to sobs before silence fell completely. Severus was about ready to break down the door when the healer opened it.

"It is done." She sounded exhausted. "She will be fine. But you will keep her quiet, restrain her if you have to. She will be very weak as she lost a lot of blood. As soon as she feels up to it, she may eat, but only a little at a time."

Severus glanced down at the balled up linens Madam Pomfrey held in her arms. "Is it really over?"

"For now. I think the overall issue will still be there, but you have more time. Now go sit with her."


	16. No Tea in Dreams

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

Severus quietly entered the room and saw how pale the young woman looked. Her eyes looked bruised, and where she hit her head was dark purple, almost black. She looked so delicate he was almost afraid to touch her but he finally reached one hand out and stroked her hair. The potions master took up his position in the chair and slid his hand under hers on the covers.

Some time in the night, Hermione awoke and slowly looked around. A great rumbling noise came from beside the bed and she saw that Severus has his head lolling back with his mouth open. He snored again, choked for a moment and picked up his head. The older man was about to fall asleep again when he saw Hermione was awake. Instantly he was sitting forward.

"How do you feel?"

Hermione just looked at him for a moment. "I just fainted, it was nothing."

"You don't remember after that?" He gently rubbed the back of her hand.

"Remember what?" She instantly became worried.

"Its over. It's gone."

Hermione frowned. "No. It's just a dream." She closed her eyes and counted back from 10.

"I promise this isn't a dream." The older man soothed. "See it's gone." He pointed his wand at her belly and whispered the charm. Only a red rune glowed above the tip.

"I don't believe you." Tears began welling up in her eyes and she pulled her hand away.

"Let me make you some tea and we can talk."

"Not supposed to drink in dreams. It's bad luck." She pouted.

"That's alright. You don't have to drink any if you don't want to." Severus left the bedroom.

While the older man was in the sitting room, Hermione pushed down the covers and pressed her fingers into the soft flesh of her stomach. She couldn't feel anything except a little soreness in her muscles. She heard Severus moving around in the other room and she pulled the blanket back up to her chin. When she breathed in, she could smell him and the stability of it grounded her. Soon the potions master returned with a tray of tea and some lightly toasted bread and butter.

Severus set the tray within her reach and prepared his own cup. As he sipped the hot liquid, Hermione broke the silence.

"Is it all over then?" She sounded hopeful but disbelieving.

"The child is gone, but we believe the shard of the Dark Lord's soul is still within you."

"And how do I get it out?"

"I don't know yet. We were just concentrating on you surviving." He looked at her trying to put feeling into the words. "We were so close to losing you."

The pure anguish from such a stoic man tugged at her heart and she slipped her bland back into his. "I hope this isn't a dream. But I'm tired." She was asleep before she had finished the last syllable.

Severus finished both of their teas, nibbled on a bite of toast and slumped in the chair. He didn't know how to prove it wasn't all a dream, and wanted to take away the distrusting look she gave him. Sighing, he bent forward to kiss her hand and just left his head resting against her hip.


	17. By The Book

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

In his dream, he ran through a forest, chasing Hermione. She ran barefoot, light as a deer through the branches threatening to snag on his clothes. As she darted between the trees, he saw her belly grow and expand. Faster he ran until he tripped and fell to his knees. The brunette stood before him, belly swollen with child. Carefully he reached up to touch the taut skin.

"It will never be yours." She smiled sweetly down at him. "It will always be his."

Severus dropped his hand and just looked up at the woman. She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair, snagging on tangles. He flinched at one knot and snapped awake.

The real Hermione, flat bellied and still weak, was threading her fingers through his hair. Quickly he pulled away from her, patting his hair back down where it usually lay. The brunette just looked up at the older man concernedly.

"Are you ok?"

Severus eyes flashed to hers and he instantly straightened. "Fine." Getting his heart rate back under control he continued. "What would you like for breakfast?"

"Oh anything at all. I am feeling rather famished." She beamed at him, only wilting slightly when he stiffly turned away.

Severus was gone for a long time and Hermione became restless. She tested her muscles and decided she could make it to the bathroom. Once there she quickly showered, cleaned her teeth and dressed. The potions master still hadn't returned but a tray sat in the sitting room bearing small portions of fruit, toast, oatmeal, bacon, and sausage. Wondering where the older man could have gotten off to, she ate her breakfast.

Hermione napped and graded until lunchtime when the potions Professor came through the floo with a hearty stew. He sat down the tray and mumbled something about a detention and disappeared back into the fireplace. The brunette just stared after the man wondering what she had done wrong to make his attitude change so abruptly. Her musings were cut short when someone knocked at the door.

Madam Pomfrey stood on the other side of the heavy door looking absolutely flabbergasted that Hermione was the one answering.

"Where's Severus?" The matron demanded as soon as the door was shut and Hermione had sat down.

"I'm not sure. I haven't seen him all day. He mentioned a detention but we didn't have one scheduled." the brunette shrugged.

The healer bustled around casting diagnostic charms. "Please tell me you've eaten though."

"Yes, Severus brought me breakfast and lunch but he buggered off somewhere right away."

"I want you to stay here and rest as much as you can." The mediwitch stood up. "I will find out where Severus is and send him back here."

Hermione nodded and Madam Pomfrey showed herself out of the rooms. Moments later, she had nodded off in the chair in front of the fire. She startled awake later when the door opened. Severus stood in the doorway looking uncertain.

"Are you alright?" She asked, about to get up.

"I'm fine." He grunted and went over to the remainder of the grading.

He didn't miss the hurt look she had as he sat down and began grading, hiding behind the curtain of his hair. Severus berated himself for making her feel that way, but he wasn't sure what else to do. The older man honestly didn't know what to do when it came to being attracted to someone. Then there was the dream. He was sure he cared for her, but it seemed clear that she would never return the emotion. To save himself heartache in the long run, he tried to distance himself now.

Hermione ignored the potions master as effectively as he ignored her. She let her mind wander and soon her body's need for rest lulled her into sleep again. The smell of a succulent roast and mashed potatoes woke her hours later with a kink in her neck. Severus appeared to have gone to the great hall for dinner while leaving hers on the table next to her chair. Grumbling to herself, she ate, boring a hole into the floor with her gaze.

Severus refused to admit what was bothering him and Hermione stopped asking after the third time he said he was fine without meeting her gaze. Monday night she moved went back to her room after a day of potions lessons and detentions. If she was going to be ignored she would rather just be alone. The potions master didn't mention the change, only took it as affirmation of what he interpreted from the dream. So for the next week they spoke very few words to each other. When they did speak, it was to bicker over every little thing, like her handwriting or the time she spent in the library.

Lunch on Friday found Hermione sitting as far away as she could from the potions Professor ignoring anyone else, entertaining herself with trying to remember the title of every book in the library. She was doing quite well until she pictured the one book in the library that had held the word horcrux. The spine was a beautiful jewel blue with red filigree decorating the leather, but no title. The brunette got up from the table without finishing her lunch and quickly left the great hall, not quite at a run.

Hermione tore apart the library looking for the book she remembered from her research to defeat the dark lord. She went through every aisle, checked every spine, and was just pulling out piles of scrolls when the librarian returned and gasped loudly.

"What in the blue blazes are you doing?"

"Oh thank heavens you're back." Hermione jumped up and dusted off her robes. "I was looking for a book that was here years ago."

"What you are doing is decimating my library. Now get out." Madam Pince shrieked and pointed at the exit.

"But I need that book. It's blue and red and doesn't have a title." Hermione tried to gesture at the size of the book with her hands.

The librarian would have nothing of it and brandished a feather duster at the brunette. "Every book has a title. Get out."

"I know its here, I saw it 6 years ago." The Gryffindor pleaded.

"Out!"

Hermione stopped arguing and left the library. She stomped her way back to her room and scanned the books there, hoping beyond hope that another copy would be there. There wasn't. Giving up looking for the book, The brunette glanced at the time and realized that classes were almost over. Feeling like the infallible Hogwarts library had let her down, she walked the short distance to the potions classroom. To her disappointment, there was no one to take points from.

The classroom was empty of students when she arrived. Flasks of samples sat neatly on the large desk, and the Professor himself sat behind the desk reading a large book. Hermione stood before him and waited to be addressed. Several heartbeats passed before he looked up at the brunette.

"You missed the afternoon classes." He stated the obvious.

"I remembered something that might be of use in my current situation." She forced herself to keep all emotion off of her face.

He closed the book he was reading folded his hands on top of it and looked at her clearly expecting an elaborate detail of her research. The torchlight reflected for a moment off of the red markings on the jewel blue cover and Hermione gasped before narrowing her eyes and stalking around the desk.

"You had it!" She reached for the book.

Severus used his weight to press down on the book keeping it firmly in place. Feed up with his attitude, the hormones still rushing through her system, and his sudden refusal to interact with her, she slid the book to the edge of the desk despite the taller man's leverage. She grabbed the edge and pulled but the potions master caught a hold of the book too. They pulled back and forth like children fighting over a sweet when Hermione growled at him.

"I am tired of your stupid games Severus, so you either give me the book or tell me why you've been acting like this."

"I checked it out first. You have to wait until I'm done." He growled back, bracing a knee under the desk.

The Gryffindor's grip began to slip and she couldn't reposition without losing it entirely. A brilliantly Slytherin idea popped into her head and she let go of the book. Severus hadn't expected the move and slammed back in his chair as she stopped fighting him. Quickly he slapped it back on the surface of the desk. Out if the corner of his eye, he saw her hand move and braced for the blow.

Instead of slapping him, Hermione slipped her hand to his cheek and turned his head up. The potions master was so surprised he didn't resist until too late. She bent down kissed him on the mouth and grabbed the book when his hands slipped from the cover. Before he could recover, the brunette had danced out of his reach and bounded lightly for the door.

Giggling with the fact that she had just kissed Severus Snape and that she had successfully gotten away with it and the book, she went to her room and opened the book. By dinner she had read through the entire tome, found the sentence 'a phylactery should never be confused with a horcrux', and nothing else of use. Her temper rose and she jumped up, throwing the book on the floor. She then proceeded to shout her head off, throw everything she could at the walls, and spell the broken bits.

Chest heaving, Hermione looked sadly at the discarded book and apologized for it's maltreatment.

"That was some show though." Severus spoke up from the doorway.

Hermione turned on him, wand upraised and teeth bared. Severus noticed how different they were from her third year when Malfoy had charmed them to grow long. He tried to raise his hands to show he was unarmed, but he bore a tray of food. "You still need to eat regularly." The taller man set down the tray and looked expectantly at her.

She narrowed her eyes, suspicious of his sudden change of attitude again. Deciding he wouldn't have put up with everything he had so far only to poison her, she sat and attacked the dinner with gusto. Severus puttered around her, mending the broken items and replacing where they had come from until the entire room was back in order, and the tray was empty.

"You can have the book back." She grunted, gesturing at the blue tome.

"May I ask why you wanted it so badly?"

She sighed. "before the war, Dumbledore had us researching horcruxes. That is the only book I have ever found that mentions them."

"Ah yes. Page 398 I believe." he flipped to the page and read the whole sentence. "A phylactery should never be confused with a horcrux as it is far less dark and more accepted, though there are other dangers associated with using one. Do you know what a phylactery is?"

She blew a lock of stray hair out of her face with a huff. "Yes. It is an object used to house a person's complete soul. Usually used by necromancers and Liches."

They both looked at each other at the same time, realization dawning on their faces. "I can use a phylactery to store the part of his soul. I have to research this more."

Hermione launched herself out of the chair with the intention of going to the library and surrounding herself with books. As she was brushing past the potions master he caught her by the shoulders and forced her to stop.

"Why not wait until tomorrow morning?"

She tried pulling away from him. "But I need to go the library."

"Stop Hermione." Severus commanded gently.

The young woman looked so alive to him and he realized she had her hands resting lightly against his chest. "Just stop me now." He whispered.

She didn't stop him when he pressed his lips to hers. He just stood there, holding her close until she moved gently against him. One arm slipped down to her waist and the other ran up the side of her neck and into her hair, his thumb stroking her cheek. Soon he became bolder and moved his mouth against hers.

Gently Hermione pushed against his chest and spoke into the black wool covering his shoulder. "I have to go to the library."

"Don't go tonight." Severus pleaded, nuzzling her hair.

"Severus."

"Please?"

She sighed and rested her forehead on his collarbone as Severus clung to her desperately. "I can't do this until it's all over."

"And then?" The vulnerability in his voice made Hermione cling to him.

"I don't know then, but I want to try. I just need you to help me finish this."

"Alright. Anything I can do to help." He kissed her gently and stepped back. "Let's just sleep tonight and we can get an early start tomorrow."


	18. According to Plan

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

The entire weekend was spent researching the process of making a phylactery and how to ensure that the piece of Voldemort's soul was encased within it. They would sit near each other and each would remind the other to eat. Finally Sunday evening came and Hermione stood up. She fingered the pendant they had chosen to seal the shard in.

"I think I'm ready, Severus." Hermione plucked up the courage to say.

"Have we thought of everything?" He looked down a list in front of him. "This has never been done for a situation like this."

"I can do it." Hermione looked at the incantation again. "This should be it."

The brunette stepped a few feet away from the taller man and cleared her mind. Before she could raise her wand higher than her hip, Severus interrupted her.

"Wait. Just one more thing." Quickly he kissed her one more time. "I just have a bad feeling about this."

"This has to work." The Gryffindor reassured the older man.

"What about just living with it? And just not having children."

Hermione gave him an odd look. "I can feel something pulling at my edges. It's making me bitter and irritable. It's not me and I want it gone."

Resignedly, Severus sighed. "Of course."

Hermione smiled at him and raised her wand speaking the incantation clearly with her mouth, her heart, and her mind. The phylactery glowed and levitated before the brunette. She dove deep into herself and reached her hand out for the tiny piece that wasn't her soul. With all of her might, she pulled it from where it had attached itself to her and she thrust it at the phylactery. At the same moment she released the foreign shard she barely brushed against the necklace and felt herself pulled in.

Severus watched the necklace levitate and glow before Hermione screwed up her face in concentration. He didn't even realize he had been holding his breath until the brunette crumpled and he couldn't call out to her. Instantly he was at her side, feeling for a pulse. There was none.

Panic threatened to overwhelm the potions master as he thrust his mind into hers through occlumency. There wasn't the usual shallow blackness of unconsciousness, or even the delicate tendrils left after death, there was absolute nothingness. Like a vacuum, it tried to suck him into the void but he jerked back into his own body. Her soul was completely gone.

Deeply aware of how much time had passed, Severus scrambled for the incantation and cast the spell. For a moment be was fascinated by the facets of his own soul but he quickly came back to himself, searching for what he needed. He found a sliver of his soul that had fractured as a small child when he had killed a squirrel. He grimaced as he tore the piece of himself away and pushed it at the woman before him. The potions master snapped back to himself and examined Hermione. She wouldn't respond, but her pulse returned and she breathed shallowly.

The dark haired man turned to the necklace and examined it. A dull throbbing seemed to come from it, only just discernible on the edges of his senses. Carefully he extended his mind to the necklace and grimaced at what he felt. Both the Dark Lord and Hermione writhed within the phylactery and they fought for control. Even as he looked on, Voldemort's soul devoured a bit of Hermione's. Thinking fast, Severus reversed the phylactery enough to grab a hold of the brunette. He slingshotted back to his body and felt almost as if he were tearing in two as he flung the Gryffindor back into her comatose body.

Feeling drained, the potions professor dragged himself over to look at the prone woman next to him. She lay as still as death on the floor, the necklace ominously sitting in her open hand. He tossed the thing away and felt for Hermione's pulse. For one terrible moment he thought she had slipped away again, but then a flutter under his fingertips and he wanted to whoop for joy. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking up at the ceiling then focused on him.

"I don't think that went exactly as planned." She smiled up at the older man.

"Lay still while I check."

Carefully he probed the necklace and felt only the vicious hatred of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named writhing beneath the surface. He quickly touched Hermione's mind and relaxed when he sensed only her presence in her body. Severus chuckled and let his head drop into her shoulder.

"A squirrel?" She sounded bewildered.

"A bloody squirrel." He agreed and rolled over. "A squirrel." Then he did something Hermione thought she would never see. He laughed. Full on belly laughs and she joined him.

A long time later they lay in silence until Hermione shivered. The stones had sapped the heat out of her and Severus quickly got up and removed his thick wool robe. She sat up and he wrapped his robes around her shoulders. Unsteadily they got to their feet and sank into the overstuffed armchairs closer to the fire.

"Is it finally over? Is he gone?"

"Mostly. We just have to destroy the phylactery now."

"How should we do that?"

"Usually any physical damage is enough to destroy a phylactery, but I want to do something more." The older man pondered how best to do it.

"I don't care how, so long as he can never come back." Hermione said venomously.

They sat for a moment before the brunette piped up again. "What about my fiendfyre? That should destroy it right?"

"I will not have you anywhere near this thing!" Severus snapped, eyes dangerous.

The brunette looked at the older man, mouth open to argue but she closed it again. "But nothing would happen." She spoke calmly.

"Nothing is suppose to happen, but his whole thing wasn't supposed to happen. I won't risk having his soul flee into you again if you attempted to destroy the phylactery."

"What about sending it away? Dropping it into the great lake?"

"And have someone find it in the future? Or have it become some cursed trinket to damage muggles?"

"Arthur!" The Gryffindor exclaimed.

"What?"

"Arthur Weasley. He could probably do something." Hermione was rubbing at her eyes, but looking excitedly at the older man.

"We might as well ask Potter to do it." Severus sighed in exasperation.

"Why not? He's an Auror now, he has training, and he was the one that defeated him in the first place."

"I am not going to ask Potter to clean this up."

The brunette just looked at the potions master. She was about to argue, but she thought for another moment and changed her mind. "You look tired. Perhaps you should go to sleep."

Severus nodded and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I am just exhausted. Why can't anything just be simple?"

"Because you're not a simple man." Hermione let out a huge yawn and tried to cover it. "I however am exhausted and there is class tomorrow. I will see you at breakfast."

The brunette got slowly out of the chair and made her way to the door. When she left, Severus just sat looking after her until his eyes began to droop. Not willing to touch it yet, he left the pendant where it was on the floor and went to bed.


	19. Just Go

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

Hermione seemed very well rested and uncommonly cheerful when they met outside their rooms to go up to breakfast but the potions master didn't ask why. He supposed being free of the Dark Lord had put her in a giddy mood. Honestly, Severus couldn't blame her as he had been uncharacteristically cheerful after the Dark Lord fell and he found himself still alive. He just hoped she wouldn't be as happy in the classroom. Soon they were at the great hall and Hermione had pulled on the mask of Anelia Iskra and was chattering away with Professor Flitwick.

Classes went well for the Professor. Hermione had trained the students not to anger him so quickly and he allowed himself to watch her out of the corner of his eye. He admitted to himself after the fourth years left that she would make a very good Professor in any subject. He also noticed that the slight smile she wore lightened her whole demeanor, giving her a beautiful glow. Shaking his head he put it out of his mind. Now that she was free of the Dark Lord and the last tendrils of his reign she would have no need of him. Severus pondered for a moment. Perhaps he could curry some favor before she went about her life by destroying the pendant.

The last students cleared away their mess of melted cauldrons and spoiled ingredients and filtered out the door eager for dinner. In comfortable silence they walked up to the great hall. Hermione remained quiet through dinner, answering little things when other Professors asked but kept glancing at the main entrance doors end of the hall. Finally the headmistress leaned over towards the brunette and whispered something in her ear. The younger Gryffindor got up and tugged gently on the sleeve of Severus' robe.

"Come with me for a moment." She whispered.

Slightly confused, the potions master followed Hermione to the meeting room just of the hall. One person was already in the room wish his back to the fire. Snape hissed inwardly as he recognized the messy black hair.

"Potter."

"Professor Snape." The young man growled back.

"Why is he here?" The potions master glared at the brunette woman.

"I asked him here to destroy the phylactery." Hermione explained.

"I told you we didn't need him."

"We do need him Severus. I want this done and over with so I can move on." Hermione placed her hands on her hips and stared truculently at her former Professor.

"Fine. Follow me." Black cloak swirling around him, Severus lead the way to his rooms and pointed to the pendant still laying on the floor.

"That's the phylactery?" Harry asked both of them.

When Severus just arched an eyebrow at the younger man as if to say the answer was obvious, Hermione spoke up. "Yes. The last shard of Voldemort is sealed within it. We just wanted to take no chances with its destruction."

Potter knelt down near the necklace and prodded it with his wand. "That's definitely him." He finally pronounced.

"So will you destroy it?" The brunette asked eagerly.

"I would prefer to study it first." Her childhood friend stood up.

"Absolutely not. This is finished now." Snape made it very clear he was not to be argued with. "Destroy it now or leave and I will do it."

"Fine. I'll do it now." Potter began pushing up his sleeves.

"Hermione, please go up to the headmistresses office and wait there."

Harry watched his former Professor try to shoo the young woman out the door. "Why?" She demanded, bracing her feet.

"I want you as far away from here as you can safely be." Severus tried to speak quietly to exclude the boy who lived.

"But..."

"Don't argue with me. Go up there and have a cup of tea and some lemon drops."

"You can't just order me to go up there." Hermione's voice began to get louder and Harry watched in confusion. "I'm not just going to leave you."

Severus gently placed his hand in her elbow. The small touch would have been missed by anyone else, but Potter was studying their interactions. "Please Hermione. We talked about this before."

"Fine." She sniffed and stalked to the door, Severus with his hand lightly at the small of her back.

"I'll fetch you when this is done. And I promise not to harm Potter too much." Severus tried to calm the angry woman slightly.

"Be careful." Hermione whispered before shutting the door.

Severus looked at the younger man who was studying him with eyes narrowed. "Do what you need to so we can both be done."


	20. Trust Me

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

"Go have a cup of tea. I'll fetch you when we're done. I don't want you to be here." Hermione mocked the potions Professor all the way to the headmistress' office and glowered at the gargoyle protecting the entrance.

Password given, Hermione ascended the stairs still mumbling angrily to herself. Minerva opened the door before the younger woman could knock, looking mildly surprised to see the brunette.

"I figured I would be seeing one of you three soon, but I didn't figure it would be you. Have some tea."

Hermione sighed and slumped in her chair with a biscuit. "Thank you for seeing Harry in. It would have been a nightmare if the whole school had seen him."

"Agreed. And I suppose you will be explaining why I am currently hiding one of my previous students under a false name and smuggled another into my castle?"

"Yes I supper I better." Hermione made up a cup of tea and settled back to look at her Professor. "I managed to remove the bit of Voldemort's soul and Severus saved my life with quick thinking."

McGonagall arched an eyebrow. "Severus?"

The brunette blushed furiously. "We captured the shard in a phylactery but couldn't agree on a way to destroy it. He won't let me use my fiendfyre because he thinks Voldemort will flee into me again so I owled Harry."

"If anyone could fight off the last bit of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, it is Potter. But why did you leave those two alone?"

"He made me leave. Wouldn't even let me stay in my room." She sighed. "I can't really blame him. And it is rather sweet of him."

The headmistress spluttered on a bit on her tea and stared at her former student. "Sweet is not a word I have ever heard to describe Severus."

Hermione blushed again but before she could speak the door opened and Severus entered. "Headmistress, Hermione, it is done. Potter would like a word with you before he leaves. He is waiting in your chambers."

The brunette finished her tea and put the cup back. "Thank you Professor, I'm sure I'll see you again soon."

"Have a good night Miss Granger"

Hermione quickly returned to her rooms, glad to see her childhood friend after several years apart. "Thank you for coming Harry." She began but the messy haired man cut her off.

"Never mind that. How are you feeling Hermione?"

"I'm fine. What's wrong?" The brunette looked skeptically at her friend.

"Let me just try something." He didn't wait for her permission and cast a spell canceling charm and a diagnostic spell.

"What on earth are you doing Harry?" Hermione demanded, utterly bewildered.

"Just checking." He shook his wand near his ear as if it would rattle and cast the diagnostic charm again. "Just that Snape seemed odd."

The young woman just stared open mouthed at the boy who lived as he gave up on his wand and felt her forehead. "You think Severus put a spell on me."

"Well yeah. I wouldn't put it past the slimy git."

She pulled her wrist away from his hand as he attempted to take her pulse. "That is absolute rubbish."

"Hermione, come on. He used to be a Death Eater."

"Not after he changed sides. He only did what he had to. You saw his memories."

"But it's Snape." Potter whined as if this made everything clear, which to him it did.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She spluttered.

"Hermione, come with me. I'll keep him away from you." Harry pleaded.

"I don't know what you're talking about but I want you to leave now." The brunette opened the door and stepped back to let him pass.

"But you let him touch you. He's done something to you, I know it." He didn't move towards the door despite the clear message.

Hermione actually threw her head back and laughed. "He hasn't done anything to me, I just grew up. You should look into it. Now please leave." She pointed at the hallway.

Slowly, Harry left the room but he paused in the corridor. "But why?" He asked sadly.

"Because he's been there for me." She began closing the door.

"I would have been. You know that right?"

"Yes, but you wouldn't have been able to help me like he has."

Harry was about to speak again when be felt someone standing behind him. Severus had his arms crossed over his chest, glowering down his nose at the younger man. "I do believe the lady asked you to leave. I trust you don't need an escort to the front gates."

The younger man gave Hermione a pleading look before leaving the corridor. Severus watched his retreating back until he was out of sight then stepped into the room.

"What was that about?" The potions master asked, standing next to the fire.

Hermione sighed and rubbed her scalp. "He was trying to rescue me."

"From what?"

"From you. He is convinced you have me under some spell and are forcing me to stay here against my will."

Snape growled. "You are free to leave as soon as you wish."

He spun and stalked out the door, long robes billowing. Hermione just stared after the impossible man. Huffing in the opposite direction, she readied herself for bed and had the best sleep she had had all year. Severus hardly slept at all, plagued by nightmares of Hermione leaving the castle and bring attacked by Death Eaters or worse.


	21. Gone Again

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

"Not only did you get arrested, but I had to bail you out. Did you learn nothing from your father?" Narcissa viciously slapped her son, leaving bloody scratches across his cheek.

"But mother."

"Don't bother but mothering me."

"Mother please." The blond man prepared for another blow. "Severus is still alive."

Narcissa's eyes narrowed. "What did you say?"

"Severus wasn't killed in Hogsmeade "

"That just tops it!" The older Malfoy screamed and stomped her foot. "First Fenrir was killed, my mansion went up on flames, and the filthy little mudblood got away. Then now I find out he didn't even properly kill that traitorous greasy haired, halfblood bastard!"

She began pacing the room. "I thought the Dark Lord was going to end him with Nagini during the final battle. But even that wasn't enough to finish the cold blooded snake."

"They thought he had died though." Draco offered.

"I don't care what other people thought. I want facts and the fact is Severus Snape is still alive and I want his heart in my hand." Narcissa held her hand out as if already holding the bloody organ.

Quickly she turned and addressed the hooded Death Eaters standing silently to one side. "I don't care what you have to do, but I want that traitor dead and the mudblood brought to me alive."

Having slept on her options, Hermione pondered what she could do now that the Death Eaters wouldn't be after her. For a moment she considered teaching, but gave that up as none of the professors were considering retirement. Working for the ministry as an experimentalist had intrigued her as a student, but her deep mistrust of the government organization put that out of the question.

A very brief thought of getting back together with Ron made her cringe when it was followed by the thought of a passel of redheaded children. Kids weren't out of the question, just with Ron was never going to happen. The shower ran cold and Hermione decided to take a trip to Diagon Alley and see if something caught her eye.

The brunette called to the kitchens for breakfast then headed out the main doors, avoiding the great hall and the Professors. The walk to the village was beautiful and Hermione smiled at the rapidly warming weather before apparating to the Leaky Cauldron in London.

She browsed through the shops for somewhere to apply. Leaky Cauldron, no. Florean Fortescue's, no. Madam Malkin's, no. Ollivander's, maybe. Flourish and Blotts, yes. The moment Hermione pushed open the door, she was distracted by the smell of old books and unread knowledge. Vaguely, the brunette wandered off to the side down and isle rather than head straight to the only associate working at the large counter in the back.

One man noticed her mass of hair out of the corner of his eye and snapped around to look closer. He grinned as he realized the alley was hardly crowded and no one ever went into the bookshop except for before the start of school. The man rubbed his hands together, fingered his wand in his pocket and slipped surreptitiously from his lurking spot in the entrance to Knockturn Alley.

When he poked his head through the door, he didn't see anyone in the first floor. So he quietly drew his wand and checked each isle. Hermione had her back to him and didn't make a sound when he stunned her, catching her before she fell. The man then half carried her, half drug her out of the store and down the street, talking softly as if a concerned husband helping his fainted wife to the nearest apparation point. One safely surrounded by the grimy darkness of Knockturn alley, he moved quickly and apparated them away.

Severus waited for his apprentice at breakfast, genuinely surprised when she never arrived. He then went to her rooms and knocked, but no one answered. The warning bell for the first class of the day rang before he could enter and look for her. Classes drug by even slower than usual without her presence and the students were wishing for her return after the dark professor took off about a hundred points.

Lunch was a frantic affair of searching the castle, scouring the library, and looking into every bathroom. Only when he called the kitchens for a quick sandwich did one of the elves pipe up about how Miss Issa wanted to eat alone so she could go out. Severus had a split second to decide if he should interrogate the diminutive being more, rush after Hermione, or finish his sandwich and talk to the headmistress. A quick questioning revealed that the elf knew nothing more so the potions Professor took the rest of his sandwich and headed for the front doors where he was stopped by the headmistress.

"Professor Snape." She called him up short. "Just where do you think you're going? There is still afternoon classes to attend."

"Minerva, Hermione is gone."

"Where has she gone?" The severe woman arched a brow at him.

"I think to Diagon alley." He glanced at the door, wishing he was already outside the boundaries of the school and able to apparate.

"Isn't she allowed to be in Diagon Alley as your apprentice?"

"Well, yes."

"Then leave her be and go teach your class."

"I think she will be attacked again."

"You don't have any proof and you have students that need attending."

"Headmistress, with all due respect, the Death Eaters are still out there." He gritted through his clenched teeth. "They have already captured her once and almost made her give birth to Lord Voldemort. They tried to kill me last time and would do so again in a heartbeat. I don't want to think of what they will do to her when they find out she killed him and destroyed the last chance they had to bring him back."

Snape had slowly advanced on the older woman, forcing her to back up but she found her voice again under his powerful stare. "The first priority of the teachers at this school is to the students. Teach your classes and I will find out where Miss Granger has gone."

Only a deep respect for the aging woman kept the potions Professor from drawing his wand and hexing her into pieces and walking out the front door. "Yes Headmistress."

Minerva watched the black robed Professor walk away and shivered at how close she knew she came to seeing the side of the man that brought him into the Death Eaters ranks as a young man. Quickly she returned to her office and began scribbling letters to several people.

Severus met his next class in the corridor while pinning a note to the classroom door. "Class is canceled today. Go away." He growled at the seventh year NEWT students. Satisfied, he slipped into his chambers and left the castle through the tunnel exit.


	22. On Silver Wings

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

**Warning**: This chapter has by far the most adult content in this fic. If you are squeamish, please wait for the next chapter. Thank you.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

Hermione wanted to pass out again when she found herself sitting in the newly rebuilt sitting room of Malfoy Manor. No one was in the room with her but she couldn't move her hands or feet no matter how hard she pulled and tugged. Panting with the effort, she froze when she heard a door open and Narcissa sat down in a matching armchair.

"Welcome back, mudblood." The older woman sneered. "As you can see, your little escapades have hardly set me back at all." She gestured around the sitting room and held up her damaged arm, now looking less skeletal and more simply blackened.

"However, there is a small issue of you not being pregnant. What have you done with our Lord?"

"I killed him." Hermione had the satisfaction of watching dismay cross the blond woman's face before it was replaced by fury.

"You lie!" Malfoy hissed and flicked her wand at the bound woman. "Ligilimens."

Narcissa flicked through memories of the Gryffindor destroying Severus' dark mark, being captured, and finally rejecting the tainted fetus. "No matter. We will just start again. And this time I don't want to have to wait."

A Death Eater entered the room bearing a tray and two potions. The Slytherin pointed at the vials. "I think you remember how this works. Drink." And she unbound one of Hermione's hands.

"It won't do any good." The brunette smirked and downed the first vial, recognizing the taste of the insemination potion. As the second potion passed her lips, she realized it wasn't the anti-termination potion from before.

It was the older woman's turn to smirk. "It should only be a few minutes now." She leaned forward in her chair. "How does it feel to know you will give birth to the doom of your world in a few minutes, mudblood?"

"I don't know because I won't be." Hermione spat back.

Narcissa bared her teeth in a feral smile when the Gryffindor gasped in pain and pressed her free hand to her stomach. Pain was shooting in icy daggers from her abdomen, curling her toes and arching her back. Hermione felt with horror her stomach begin to harden and expand, the skin stretching tight over the magically accelerated growth of the bastard child within her. Seconds felt like hours until she couldn't resist the pain and screamed, writhing against the remaining bonds. Until at long last, the pain stopped and the wet fluid of her water breaking flooded down her legs. breathing sent aftershocks of pain through her body as the skin pulled tighter and felt like it was going to tear open.

"Retrieve the lord." Narcissa commanded. "But be careful. We aren't done with her yet."

A Death Eater approached holding a wickedly sharp looking knife. Hermione tried to push him away with her free hand but he grabbed her wrist and squeezed until bones shattered and she screamed again. The Death Eater quickly cut away her her robes and shirt until her massive stomach was bared. The Gryffindor glanced down at the angry skin and wanted to faint again. Only the knowledge that Severus had destroyed the last shard of Lord Voldemort kept her from complete insanity.

It was just too much, however, when the masked man slid the knife across her stomach, it's own weight enough to make it sink through her flesh like butter. Blessedly she passed out and let the black of unconsciousness lull her into thinking she was dreaming. The dream became reality when Narcissa brutally slapped her across the face. Hermione glanced down and saw a freshly healed cut across her stomach and her pants stained with blood and birth fluid.

The Slytherin woman delighted in seeing reality start to slip in Hermione's eyes. Nothing gave away the dismay she felt, when the brunette saw the tiny bundle in the older woman's arms. Narcissa didn't miss that Hermione had seen the child she now held.

"Why thank you for bringing our lord back to us, mudblood."

"Are you sure that's him? because I'm pretty sure it's not." The brunette coughed weakly.

"If you really want to see, I wouldn't mind aging him up a bit just for you." She produced another vial of aging potion and dribbled several drops in the infant's mouth.

The insane smile she wore lessened until it became a frown and then a snarl. She pointed her wand and whispered the incantation, diving into the infant's mind. Hermione giggled at the furious expression on the normally composed woman's face.

"What did you do to our lord?" She screamed, thrusting the child at Hermione

Realization dawned on her as she straight black hair and black eyes peering from the fully formed face, not bald and red eyes with the snake like slits for a nose. "I told you. I killed him." And she continued giggling.

Malfoy spluttered for a moment before she dropped the baby in Hermione's lap and pointed her wand at it. "Avada Kedavra!"

The Gryffindor's heart stopped as she watched the life leave the tiny body in her lap. 'No' was all she could whisper over and over as she held the lifeless bundle close to her with her broken arm. She didn't notice when Narcissa left the room, or when a group of Death Eaters entered. The brunette didn't move until one stepped forward and snatched the bundle from her. Helpless to stop them, she watched as they threw the small body on the fire, one tear sliding down her cheek.

Hermione didn't respond as they removed the spell holding her feet and unbroken arm. She didn't scream as they hit her, cut her skin, or contorted her body with the cruciatus curse. The young woman didn't resist as they conjured ropes and tied her by her hands and hung her from the ceiling facing the fire where the charred body could still be seen among the logs. And she didn't acknowledge when they stripped her completely and flogged every inch of her skin on her back, stomach, and thighs while groping and pinching her breasts.

Hermione finally kept her eyes shut when they cut her down and threw her battered body over a table and spread her legs, the leader pronouncing he would go first and the rest cheering him on. He opened his pants and rubbed himself between the cleft of her buttocks before pulling her hips up to a better angle and thrusting into her, slapping the already abused skin of her ass.

The brunette slipped, letting everything carry her away, ready to run into the welcoming arms of death when he finally came calling for her. The arms she did find herself in were not death's, however. For one bleary moment she thought that Severus Snape had his strong arms around her, wrapping her in his cloak. Hermione laughed silently to herself at the absurdity of the dark potions master finding her and let her mind flit away.


	23. Do Your Job

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

Severus tightened his arms around the younger woman as much as he dared with her injuries, his cloak wrapped tightly around her. No one tried to stop the potions master until he reached the front door of the manor. There he was approached by Harry Potter who had his wand out, but pointed at the ground.

"Professor, I can't allow you to take her." The young man tried to sound authoritative.

Severus just stepped around his former student. "I will be taking her back to Hogwarts where she can heal."

"Professor, she should go to St. Mungo's."

"I will take her with me unless you plan on stopping me. But be prepared that I will fight to the death for her." The potions master looked levelly at the auror and continued down the walk past the antiapparation wards.

Harry potter just stared after his childhood friend and the man willing to die for her wondering who perhaps was under the others spell.

"Oh goodness, what's happened to her now?" Madam Pomfrey sighed and finished washing her hands.

"Poppy, I think this might be worse than anything you've had to heal for me before." He tried to prepare the matron as he gently laid the unconscious woman on a bed.

"What happened Severus?" She gasped as she folded back the bloodstained cloak.

"Death Eaters." He said gravely.

The healer lightly touched the healed slice mark across her stomach. "Did they finally get him?"

"No. We had just destroyed the last of the Dark Lord's soul when she was taken. I don't know what happened. We'll have to wait until she can tell us."

"I don't know if I can do this." Madam Pomfrey sighed, examining the severe damage to the young woman.

The wild look in Severus' eyes made the healer step back. "You will heal her."

She nodded and began preparing the hospital ward, giving orders to Severus for potions and clean bandages as she needed them. Hours later they both stood looking at the unconscious woman on the bed. A pile of blood stained linens sat on the side table next to a bowl of water tinged red. The larger cuts and slashes were healed and dittany was applied liberally while Madam Pomfrey focused on the internal bleeding. Lastly the broken bones were mended.

The healer sat wearily on a nearby bed and looked at the potions master still standing at her side. "There is nothing more we can do for her now Severus. We have to wait to see if she wakes up now."

"When. When she wakes up." He insisted over his shoulder running his fingers through her bushy hair.

Pomfrey stood and placed one hand on the taller man's shoulder. "You should rest."

"I cant sleep with her like this." He whispered.

She summoned a chair and gestured for him to sit. "Stay with her then, she sat with you last time." The healer then bustled off and began cleaning and taking stock of her potion stores.

The next morning the headmistress strode into the hospital wing, clearly furious. Madam Pomfrey tried to waylay her at the door but McGonagall ignored her and made straight for the potions Professor as he came out of the restrooms.

"You disobeyed a direct order Snape, and now I find you hiding out here instead of teaching." Her voice raised slightly with each word.

"Headmistress, I disobeyed your direction to save Hermione's life. If I had done as you directed, she would be dead now. As it is, we are unsure if she will survive."

"So you told the students that potions was canceled until further notice?"

"Yes and I would do it again."

"Let Madam Pomfrey do her job and you should do yours by teaching the students." The headmistress' lips went impossibly thin as she tried to keep her voice down while still shouting.

"I will not leave her side!" Severus forced his hand away from his wand.

"Why? There is nothing you can do here."

"Because I love her!"

Both women gasped at his statement and looked to the unconscious brunette. "I will not return to the classroom until I know she is out of harms way. If you so desire, take this as my resignation." He turned on his heel and returned to the chair beside Hermione's bed.

Madam Pomfrey pretended to ignore the other people in the room and folded sheets onto beds while the headmistress approached the dark man. She set her hand on his shoulder lightly. "Severus. I didn't realize you felt so strongly for her. I just didn't want you neglecting the students."

"They have learned more than enough for their tests. She taught them well." He whispered as if his throat didn't want to let any more words escape.

"If there is anything you or she needs, please tell me. If it helps, the Malfoys have been permanently incarcerated in Azkaban and the last of the Death Eaters rounded up."

"Thank you Minerva, but please leave us be."

Clearly dismissed, McGonagall left the brooding man to wait at the young woman's side until she awoke. As she left, she shook her head sadly and wished them well.


	24. Elisian Fields

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

Two days passed with only changing bandages and administering potions to break the monotony. Severus hoped and begged anything that would listen to let her open her eyes one more time. He cleaned her hair and moistened her lips with chips of ice, taking short naps in the chair as he needed, but never letting go of her hand or straying further than the washroom. He was about to give up hope on the morning of the third day when her head turned sideways on the pillow and her eyes opened.

"Hermione." The potions Professor felt like leaping with joy when she saw the movement but he quickly quieted when he saw no recognition behind her eyes. She was awake, but she wasn't there. Just the body that had housed her mind remained.

Madam Pomfrey peered at the brunette, moving the bright wand tip back and forth in front of her eyes. "No dilation, no response to touch or speech, but there is enough if her left to wake up. I'm not sure what we could do."

"She has to be ok." He insisted, pacing helplessly.

"She may need to be housed at St. Mungo's. They can take better care of her there than I can."

"No!" Severus roared. "I will not leave her to play baby at that madhouse."

"She isn't healing. Look, her cuts still look the same as when you brought her in. And her body won't take any more magical healing."

"We just have to give her more time "

"St. Mungo's has the best spell damage ward in the nation."

"It's the only one in the nation you mean."

"You have to think about what is best for her."

"McGonagall said the same thing when she put me in St. Mungo's after the war. Those aren't healers, those are loons, the lot of them. They don't think about what is best for their patients, otherwise they would have remembered to feed me regularly, let alone try to heal me." Severus snarled, pulling open his collar to bare the knotted scars from Nagini.

"They were afraid of you." Madam Pomfrey whimpered. "They will take care of her."

"No and that is final. If you refuse to do your duty and do everything you can to heal her here, I will take her where I can care for her in peace."

Wisely, Pomfrey stopped arguing, gathered her skirts and bustled off to her office leaving the potions master alone with the Gryffindor. Sighing, Severus sat down and gently slid his hand into the unconscious woman's. He looked at how different their fingers looked together, his callused and dry, hers small with papery thin skin and bandages covering where one of the Death Eaters had torn out her nails. Quietly the Professor began to talk, about how he wasn't going to send her to St. Mungo's and how she would get better, the potions she would teach the second years, and how strong she was, how Gryffindor.

"What did they do to you, what did you see that made you flee completely?" He asked sadly, remembering the things that were done to the muggles captured for entertainment during reviles.

Nothing changed in the young woman as she blinked slowly at him. But he watched her eyes. There was enough of her left to remember to breath and to swallow when fed. Perhaps she was still in there. Preparing for the worst, Severus pointed his wand at at her and whispered the spell.

"legilimense."

At first all he felt was falling. Where most people's mind began there was nothing just an empty hungry hole that swallowed him up. Resisting the urge to flee back to his own body, he dove deeper, startled when the first specter appeared. Falling with him, one of the Death Eaters held out a handful of bloody fingernails. The hooded man's fingers began to bleed and his nails fell out. Each atrocity committed against Hermione was repeated over and over as they fell. Even the potions professor began to recoil from the gruesome images.

"Enough!" He roared into the void and stopped falling.

There was no sudden impact, he just stopped falling. Ground crunched under his feet as he took a step. Everything had burned or withered, trees stood like so many twisted figures, missing foliage and ravaged by fire. The ground was devoid of life. He could see where grass had been burned and ponds boiled away. When he came to the charred skeleton of a building he realized that all of this damage had been caused by fiendfyre.

Sadly he continued, following a gravel path, wondering what this place looked like before Hermione burned her own deepest part of her mind away. The path wound around a small hill behind a pile of rocks and to a small cave. The positions master clinched his hand around his wand despite its total ineffectiveness. Gathering his determination, Severus stepped into the total darkness and nearly jumped back out at the feeling of live grass under his boots. Wishing for a little light, he tried to peer through the gloom.

As his eyes adjusted, Severus realized he was looking into a face that looked eerily familiar. He stared into his own slack and bruised face. An image of himself hung from it's wrists from the ceiling if the cage, bloody and broken after being ambushed at the Hogs Head. From behind the unconscious body he heard tiny sob. Heart leaping into his throat with hope, he pushed past the doppelganger and stared further into the black.

"Hermione?" Nothing but his movements had made any sound since entering the charred world that was the brunette's mind.

Hermione sat cross-legged on the grass, head down and her hair covering her lap. What he could make out was smeared with blood and ash, and bruised. He tried to move closer but one hand flashed up and fiendfyre crackled between her fingers.

Severus instantly froze and spoke calmly. "Hermione, it's me. It's Severus. Let me help you." Again he tried to inch towards her.

Quickly she lowered her hand until it was almost touching the grass she sat on. "Don't make me burn this last place. This is all I have now." She was hoarse from screaming and breathing ash.

"No. Don't burn it." He saw the grass begin to wilt and singe. "I don't want to hurt you. Don't you recognize me?"

Her head twitched as she glanced at him. "No. It's not you. It can't be you. They said they killed you. Whispered it in my ear, in my head."

"Lies. They wanted to hurt you, in your heart where they couldn't reach otherwise." Slowly, he inched forward until he was with an arms length of the quivering woman, she raised her hand to stop his approach but didn't speak.

Severus kept his hands on the ground, not threatening the battered brunette. "Burn me if you don't believe me." And he pressed his chest against her hand, closing his eyes against the expected searing of his flesh.

It never came. Hermione felt his heartbeat under his jacket and let one tear fall before sobbing and collapsing forward. Quickly, the potions master wrapped his arms around her and pulled her partially into his lap, whispering into her ear, stroking her hair. As the young woman relaxed against him slowly, he realized there was a bundle in her lap.

"Hermione, what is this?" He tried to touch the pile of cloth but she tightened her grip and tried to pull away.

"No! I won't let you have him. I won't let anyone touch him again." She shrieked and began crying again.

"I won't take it away, just talk to me, tell me what I can do."

Exhaustion overtook her and she wailed in anguish. "It's your son! They killed him! Threw him in the fire like trash."

All Severus Snape could do for a moment was gape. Not often could be find no words at all. Hermione just lay in his lap, arms wrapped protectively around the still child, shoulders shaking with her sobs. When the moment of shock passed, the Professor leaned forward and wrapped his own arms around the Gryffindor, letting his tears mix with hers.

"Don't give up. Whatever you do. Don't give up. I'll fix this. Anything more I have to do." He whispered into her hair, smoothing it.

Something changed outside of the little rock cave, a gust of wind blew across the opening sounding like a voice. Glancing toward the light of the outside, Severus stiffened. The wind blew again and the voice was much clearer.

"Severus? Are you alright? Severus!"

The potions master recognized it as Madam Pomfrey calling his name. She must have returned to the hospital ward to see him unconscious. Hermione had heard the voice too and had gone completely limp. "I have to go. But I will come back. I will not abandon you to this place alone." He smoothed her hair one more time before stepping out of the cave and returning to his body.

Madam Pomfrey startled when the potions master jerked and awoke, looking at her strangely.

"Are you alright Severus?"

"She's alive. She's still in there!"

"But she can't be, she doesn't respond to anything. There is no hope."

The Professors gaze hardened and he turned away from the mediwitch "If I say she is there, she is there and if I say there is hope, there is hope." Incredibly gently he slid his arms under the Gryffindor's limp body and cradled her close to his chest. "She cannot heal further here."

"But she needs medical care. She needs to be in a hospital." Pomfrey tried blocking the doors out of the hospital wing but the professor glowered at her.

"I have all of the training needed to help her, more than you do." He was considering putting the girl in his arms down and pulling his wand as Madam Pomfrey sputtered.

Before the matron could begin to argue, Hermione blinked, looked at the older woman and smiled slightly. She then curled up closer to the tall man's chest and seemed to go back to sleep.

"We'll I guess that settles that." Madam Pomfrey stepped aside and let them leave the hospital wing.

Students stared as Severus carried the younger woman through the halls to his dungeon chambers. Once there the Slytherin gently laid her on the bed and tucked the blanket around her. He pulled over a chair and slipped one hand into hers and gently smoothed her hair.

As the older man watched Hermione rest he smiled, she was a remarkably strong woman and despite everything she had seen, she had survived. He wondered for a moment at the implications of what he had seen in her mind. Clearly she had clung to the thought of him when she had been attacked and then she had said it was his son. The potion had taken whatever foreign shard of soul was within her and had formed the child around it. Only instead of the fragment of the Dark Lord, it had been the fractured piece he had passed to her when she had been caught in the phylactery For a moment he let himself wonder what that child would have been like.


	25. Wake Up Now

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

For three weeks the potions master cared for Hermione, administering potions, changing bandages, and touching her mind through legilimense. She quickly emerged from the cave she had hidden in, but rebuilding took longer. It took long discussions and promises that the Aurors had arrested everyone involved to convince her to even allow the grass to grow again. Soon the ground was lush and the trees had begun to bloom again. He helped her construct walls around the tender areas, giving her a fortress to return to, a way to protect herself. The potions master abandoned his stiff attitude and doted on the younger woman, and she in return promised to smile again.

Madam Pomfrey visited after a week and was delighted to see the injuries healed and that the brunette would now look around the room, though she had yet to speak. Bustling off, McGonagall entered the room and glowered at the potions master, clearly still angry at his refusal to leave Hermione's side but understanding at the same time.

"Severus, term ends tomorrow." She spoke gently

"I will vacate the rooms by the end of the week." He didn't want to look at the woman who had been his teacher, his friend, and his boss.

"You don't have to do that."

"I resigned, it would not be proper for me to continue residing here."

"Well I do not accept your resignation, Professor."

Severus looked up at the older woman. "And why is that?"

"All of your students passed their exams this year, some of the highest OWL and NEWT scores overall despite not having a lesson in almost a month." She smiled down at the Slytherin. "You two make quite the pair, in and out of the classroom."

"Thank you Minerva." Snape spoke quietly and rubbed the soft skin on the back of Hermione's hand.

When he looked back at the headmistress she had already left. He felt a slight squeeze of his hand from the you get woman and he looked back to her. For the first time in weeks full recognition shown in her eyes. Severus smoothed her hair and smiled as much as he allowed himself.

"I knew you could smile." Hermione whispered weakly.

For a moment the potions Professor didn't know what to say. "You're back."

"Is it really finally over?" She suddenly became serious.

"Yes."

"Good. I'm tired of fighting." Hermione blinked slowly and studied the ceiling. "Do you suppose Professor McGonagall would let me stay here?"

"I don't think she'll have a choice in the matter." The Slytherin squeezed her hand and smoothed her hair.

"Would you hold me?"

He nodded and began unbuttoning his jacket before sliding into the bed next to the younger woman. Hermione instantly curled up against his chest allowing his arms to hold her tight. Severus inhaled the scent of her hair and placed a chaste kiss to her forehead.

"What do you think will happen now?" Hermione breathed against his neck, sending goosebumps crawling across his arms.

"I think you will get better, term will start again, and you can teach the students how to be know-it-alls." His voice started to trail off as she ran her lips across his trachea.

He purred for a moment, lifting his jaw so she could get better access to the tender skin of his neck. "What are you doing?"

"Kissing you." She nibbled delicately at his collarbone. "Are you complaining?"

"Not at all." He was quite happy to let her continue until she slipped one hand across his chest and brushed his nipple.

Severus grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. "I thought you just wanted to be held?" He nuzzled her hair and pulled their bodies flush together so she could feel the affect she had on him.

"Do you want me to stop?" Hermione ran her teeth gently against his earlobe.

"Merlin no, but I'm going to ask you to." It was the hardest thing he had ever willingly done, but he smiled when she slid her leg between his and nodded.

As Hermione fell asleep in his arms, Severus counted his blessings. "We have all the time in the world now."


	26. The Times Do Change

Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Warning: Fluffy smut abounds!

Please do not read if you are not of legal age in your country. There are adult scenes, however short and to the point.

* * *

Fiendfyre

"Stop wiggling around." Severus mumbled into the pillow, his back to his wife.

One more repositioning on the bed and Hermione could reach her goal. She slipped her hand over the older man's hip and across his flat stomach up to his chest where she rested it over his heart. The Gryffindor then let her lips caress the back of his neck. Automatically he pressed back against her and purred appreciatively. Gently she flicked one rapidly hardening nipple and continued to tease and nip his neck, nuzzling his warm skin.

"Woman, if you don't want me to have my wicked way with you right now, I would stop." He gave her fair warning.

The younger woman grinned wickedly and softly bit his shoulder. She giggled when Severus rolled over on top of her, the blanket sliding to the floor. He ran his hands over her naked body, squeezing her breasts and pinching her nipples while he sucked gently on her collarbone. Hermione moaned in delight as she wrapped her legs around his hips and felt his stiff member caught between their bodies.

"Evil woman." The potions master growled playfully when he lowered his head and latched onto a nipple.

"Who, me?" She tried to sound innocent as conscious thought rapidly began slipping away.

Hermione pulled her husband close and whispered in his ear, nipping at his earlobe. "I want you in me."

The potions master chuckled and pushed himself up, running his fingers down her sides. He gripped himself lightly as he dipped one finger down to tease her clit. It wasn't long before the brunette was arching her back, trying to get more friction and whimpering in need.

"Please Severus." She moaned when he rubbed the tip of his member between her folds.

Feeling how wet she was, the older man angles his hips and pressed slowly forward, delighting in how Hermione's head lolled back and forth and she sighed in pleasure. Moving to an ancient rhythm, Severus pressed himself as close as he could to the welcoming form below him, feeling her arms wrap tightly around him. He was happiest right here, buried deep inside the Gryffindor woman as she clung to him.

The little panting moans and the way she rolled her hips drove him crazy every time and soon he was breathing hard and thrusting erratically. Hermione slipped her hand up and twined her fingers in his long hair, pulling him closer and kissing him deeply and sending him over the edge.

Neither one wanted to move until Severus couldn't get enough air around the brunette's mass of hair. He rolled sideways and smirked at the little moan of protest she gave him. As soon as he flopped onto his side next to her, Hermione cuddled up to him and pressed her head under his chin.

"Love you." The brunette mumbled sleepily.

"Don't fall asleep yet, I may be up for round two." He lightly slapped her bottom.

"I doubt you're feeling that spry all of a sudden, old man." She smiled.

"I'm not that old, am I?"

"You're in your fifties now."

"But that's still young for a wizard." Severus pouted, tickling his much younger wife.

"All right, you're not old." She squealed, trying to get away. "But you're still getting gray" She fingered the streaks at his temple.

"That's because you wear me out."

"Are you complaining again?" She kissed him on the tip of his nose.

"Not at all." He wrapped her up in his arms and she hummed happily.

"Love you."

"I know, now I have to be up in the morning."

They stood on the platform smiling as the train started to slide away. "I'm glad we decided to come here." Hermione smiled up at her husband.

Severus kept his face neutral until a parent glanced at him and he smiled. The random wizard gathered up his wife and hurried away. "Don't scare your former students." The brunette scolded and slipped her hand into his.

"Lets go home and celebrate finally having the place all to ourselves." Severus whispered in her ear.

"Just one thing before we go." She quickly kissed her husband making everyone stop and stare at their former potions professor being snogged.

"Woman, don't do that in public." He growled frowning.

"I know, but look at everyone's faces."

Everyone on the platform was staring even more. "Are you sure you weren't supposed to be sorted into Slytherin?"

"No, but I've spent the last 20 years learning from one." She smiled indulgently and appeared them both to the castle gates.

Hours later they took the stairs that would lead them from their chambers in the dungeon to the great hall for the welcoming feast. As they walked they argued.

"Slytherin"

"Gryffindor."

"Definitely Slytherin."

"I wouldn't be too sure."

They greeted the other professors in the hall and took their seats in the twin high backed chairs at the center of the head table. Together they both served as head of Hogwarts, Severus always took a hard line, but was tempered by his wife. The school had quickly returned to its former glory when run by Albus Dumbledore. Soon the hall filled with students arriving from the thestral drawn carriages.

Hermione smiled down at the tattered sorting hat sitting on its little three legged stool. Professor Sinistra lead the first years into the hall and lined them up in front of the head table. Many small faces turned to their neighbors and whispered, pointing surreptitiously at the black haired headmaster. Seeing her husband tense, the Gryffindor slipped a hand onto his knee and squeezed.

Once the sorting hat had finished its usual song of brotherhood and friendship, Professor Sinistra began calling names. Some Hermione recognized from her time as a student and some she surmised must be muggleborn. The list had started growing after the war and the school was as full as it had ever been in the past. Lastly one student waited to place the hat upon her head.

She had her father's hair color and complexion, though the black tresses were massive like her mother's. Black eyes glancing at her parents, Tria sat down on the stool and eagerly accepted the hat. As the hat shouted out its choice, Hermione and Severus looked at each other and laughed.

"Ravenclaw!"

A quick wave at the head table and she skipped off to join her housemates. It seemed painfully obvious to the heads of Hogwarts once the decision was announced, their daughter was far too smart for her own good after all. Once the warnings of out of bounds areas and the continued ban on Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was out of the way, Hermione began the feast. Together they looked forward to a new year but hoped it wasn't too exciting.


End file.
